Podcasts about Zerubbabel

“Let's be faithful and then let's work.” That's the wisdom our teacher, Dr. J. Vernon McGee leaves us with as we learn from the life of Zerubbabel and realize we may never know how important our work is for God.

We see a remnant of Jewish exiles return to Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity. Discover how King Cyrus of Persia, stirred by God, issues a decree allowing the Jews to rebuild their temple. Follow the journey of over 40,000 returnees, led by Jeshua the priest and Zerubbabel, as they face the challenges of reconstructing their lives and faith in a ruined city.Support the showRead along with us in the Bible Brief App! Try the Bible Brief book for an offline experience!Get your free Bible Timeline with the 10 Steps: Timeline LinkSupport the show: Tap here to become a monthly supporter!Review the show: Tap here!Want to go deeper?...Download the Bible Brief App!iPhone: App Store LinkAndroid: Play Store LinkWant a physical book? Check out "Bible Brief" by our founder!Amazon: Amazon LinkWebsite: biblebrief.orgInstagram: @biblelitTwitter: @bible_litFacebook: @biblelitEmail the Show: biblebrief@biblelit.org Want to learn the Bible languages (Greek & Hebrew)? Check out ou...

Rebuilding What Darkness Destroyed Zechariah 3 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him.  2 The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?”   Name the accuser, and let God rebuke him.   3 Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. 4 The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.”  Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.” 5 Then I said, “Put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the Lord stood by. 6 The angel of the Lord gave this charge to Joshua: 7 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘If you will walk in obedience to me and keep my requirements, then you will govern my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you a place among these standing here. 8 “‘Listen, High Priest Joshua, you and your associates seated before you, who are men symbolic of things to come: I am going to bring my servant, the Branch.  9 See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven eyes on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it,' says the Lord Almighty, ‘and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day. 10 “‘In that day each of you will invite your neighbor to sit under your vine and fig tree,' declares the Lord Almighty.”   Zechariah 4  Then the angel who talked with me returned and woke me up, like someone awakened from sleep. 2 He asked me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lamps on it, with seven channels to the lamps. 3 Also there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.” 4 I asked the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?” 5 He answered, “Do you not know what these are?”  “No, my lord,” I replied. 6 So he 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 Almighty. 7 “What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of ‘God bless it! God bless it!'”   Name the mountain, and trust God to move it.   8 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 9 “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you. 10 “Who dares despise the day of small things, since the seven eyes of the Lord that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone in the hand of Zerubbabel?”   Name your next step, and take it.    11 Then I asked the angel, “What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?” 12 Again I asked him, “What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?” 13 He replied, “Do you not know what these are?”  “No, my lord,” I said. 14 So he said, “These are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth.”   Name your Source, and trust God's supply.

In the finale of our biggest series ever, Pastor Robey Barnes delivers a powerful message on victory through the book of Haggai. Drawing a striking parallel between the celebrations at the end of World War II and the ultimate victory found in Jesus Christ, Pastor Robey traces the prophetic line from Zerubbabel to Christ — the promised “seed” who conquered sin and death. This message calls us to live as people who are already victorious, to walk in the freedom and power Jesus has secured for us, and to rise as One Generation that builds God's kingdom, transforms South Florida, and leaves a legacy for future generations. The sermon culminates in a moving vision of spiritual awakening — with children's prayers and testimonies that display the transformative power of the Holy Spirit at work among us.

Sermon Summary — Zechariah: Session 3 Text: Zechariah 3–4 Theme: “Not by Might, Nor by Power, but by My Spirit” Speaker: Pastor Matthew Robbins (LWWC) 1. Opening and Ministry Update Pastor opened with thanksgiving: in just six days, 32 new nations began listening to the church's broadcast — evidence that God's Word is reaching the world. Prayer emphasized the importance of being “found in the Word, following the Word, and structuring our lives around the Word.” Transitioned into Zechariah 3, explaining the historical background: The people of Israel had returned from Babylonian exile. The prophets Haggai, Zechariah, and Nehemiah encouraged them to rebuild the temple and walls of Jerusalem. 2. The Ark and God's Faithfulness Pastor recalled the history of the Ark of the Covenant, which never changed — from Moses to David to Solomon — symbolizing God's unchanging nature. He shared conviction from the Holy Spirit: the original Ark still exists and will one day reappear when Israel rebuilds the temple. Israel has reportedly reconstructed priestly garments and temple furnishings, preparing for restoration. Key lesson: God never changes; His covenant stands forever. When the Ark reappears, it will be a global sign of God's faithfulness and sovereignty. 3. Joshua the High Priest and Filthy Garments (Zechariah 3) Vision: Joshua the high priest stands before the angel of the Lord while Satan accuses him. Joshua is clothed in filthy garments, symbolizing human sin and unworthiness — even a priest cannot stand clean before God on his own. God rebukes Satan and commands that Joshua's filthy garments be removed and replaced with rich robes and a clean turban marked “Holiness to the Lord.” Meaning: God removes iniquity and clothes His people with righteousness. Salvation is not self-earned — “We can't clean ourselves; the Lord must do it.” Application: Many people say, “I'll fix myself before I come to God.” Pastor rebuked this thinking: “You don't clean up to come to Jesus — you come to Jesus to be cleaned up.” 4. The Branch — Jesus Revealed The angel declares: “I am bringing forth My servant, the Branch.” This is a prophecy of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who removes iniquity “in one day.” That “one day” refers both to: Israel's restoration (1948 — national prophecy fulfilled in a day). Christ's crucifixion, where sin was forgiven once for all. Through Christ, believers are clothed in righteousness — the Old Testament points directly to Jesus. 5. The Vision of the Lampstand and Olive Trees (Zechariah 4) Zechariah sees a golden lampstand (menorah) with seven lamps and two olive trees beside it. The angel explains: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit.” Zerubbabel, a descendant of David, was leading the rebuilding of the temple. Meaning: Human effort cannot accomplish God's work — it is only through the Holy Spirit. “Some trust in chariots and horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord.” 6. Watchman Nee and the Broken Vessel Pastor shared insights from Watchman Nee's “The Release of the Spirit.” The alabaster box story illustrates that the value is not the vessel, but what's inside. The Holy Spirit must be released through a broken life. Our cleverness or intellect can block the Spirit's flow — we must depend fully on God's Word and Spirit. True ministry touches the spirit, not merely the emotions or intellect. Key quote: “If I only tell stories but don't use the Word of God, I'm touching your soul, not your spirit.” 7. The Capstone and the Mountain God tells Zerubbabel: “Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain.” Symbolic of God leveling obstacles through grace and power. “He shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of ‘Grace, grace!'” The capstone (or chief cornerstone) represents Christ, the head and completion of all things. Pastor drew connections to Egypt's pyramids and ancient symbolism, explaining how the “capstone” points to unity under Christ — “the head of the body.” 8. The Two Olive Trees — Moses and Elijah The two olive trees represent the two anointed ones who “stand beside the Lord.” Pastor identified them as Moses and Elijah — symbols of the Law and the Prophets. These two appear repeatedly: On the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17). As the two witnesses in Revelation 11, prophesying during the tribulation. Moses' body was divinely preserved; Elijah was taken up without dying — both return to testify of Christ's glory. Their ministries align perfectly with Revelation's description: Elijah shuts up the heavens (no rain). Moses turns water to blood and releases plagues. 9. The Word Deposited in Us Pastor closed with a powerful exhortation: Reading and hearing Scripture is like making spiritual deposits. The Holy Spirit later draws from what you've stored. “The Holy Spirit goes to your bank account — make sure there's something in it.” God's Word feeds the spirit, not just the mind. “You don't have to retain everything — just keep putting it in. The Holy Spirit will bring it out when it's needed.” 10. Final Exhortation God's Word must govern us — not the other way around. Pastor concluded with this charge: “Don't come to the Bible trying to make it fit you. Come to it and fit yourself to it.” Closing prayer asked that the Word of God come alive, ignite prayer, and make believers a light in their generation. Key Themes God's unchanging faithfulness (the Ark). Cleansing through Christ alone. Ministry through the Spirit, not human might. The prophetic unity of the Law and the Prophets fulfilled in Jesus. Living by the Word — daily deposits of truth.

In this powerful message, Pastor Jason Daughdrill teaches from Zechariah 4:1–14, reminding us of God's timeless word to Zerubbabel:“Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”Zerubbabel's name means “born in Babylon” — a reminder that even those born in brokenness can be rebuilt by the Spirit of God. This message will encourage you to stop striving and start surrendering to the power of the Holy Spirit.When you rely on His Spirit instead of your own strength, the mountains in front of you flatten, small beginnings grow, and your lamp never runs out of oil.

Haggai 1 English Standard VersionThe Command to Rebuild the Temple1 In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest: 2 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.” 3 Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?5 Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways.6 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.7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. 8 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. 9 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.10 Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. 11 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.”The People Obey the Lord12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord. 13 Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke to the people with the Lord's message, “I am with you, declares the Lord.” 14 And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.English Standard Version (ESV)The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.ESV Text Edition: 2025. 

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Ezra 5-6; Psalm 138; Luke 16 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible! On this October 3rd episode, join your host Hunter as we journey together through Day 277 of our year-long exploration of scripture. Today, we'll open the pages of Ezra chapters 5 and 6, where we witness the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem and God's faithfulness to His people. We'll pause with David in Psalm 138 to reflect on gratitude and God's loving kindness. Then, we'll dive into Luke 16, where Jesus shares parables about stewardship, faithfulness, and the powerful story of the rich man and Lazarus—a timely reminder about the true riches found in God, not in material wealth. Along the way, Hunter offers reflections on heart posture, spiritual blindness, and the gift of being “named” and known by God. He closes with heartfelt prayers and practical encouragement to care for both body and soul, reminding us all that as we seek God together—no matter where we are in the world—we are deeply loved. So, grab your Bible, settle in, and let's walk this path of faith together today. The Story of the Named and Nameless: Faith, Riches, and Resurrection Lessons from Ezra, Psalms, and Luke: The Blessings of Faith and Humility Sitting with the Named Ones: Discovering Faith Beyond Riches Ezra's Restoration, David's Praise, and Jesus' Parables on Faithfulness Blindness of Wealth and the Hope of Resurrection: Insights from Luke 16 Walking in Faith: Rebuilding Hearts and Homes in God's Name From Exile to Celebration: God's Faithfulness Through Ezra, Psalms, and Luke Learning Humility and Hope from the Table of Abraham and Lazarus Faith That Sees: Overcoming the Blindness of Comfort and Riches Daily Reading, Daily Renewal: Finding Joy and Strength in God's Word Sure! Here are 30 topical keywords covered in this transcript: Ezra, Temple rebuilding, King Darius, King Cyrus, Jerusalem, Passover, exile, burnt offerings, Haggai, Zechariah, Persian kings, gold and silver cups, Babylonian exile, Psalm 138, worship, faithfulness, God's promises, prayer, humility, protection, resurrection, New Testament, Luke 16, parables, rich man and Lazarus, wealth, generosity, repentance, Moses and the Prophets, eternal life, daily devotion Hunter's Story (Short Bio Format): During a critical period in Jerusalem's history, when the city's temple lay in ruins, Hunter found himself among a resilient group determined to restore what was lost. Inspired by the voices of prophets like Haggai and Zechariah, who urged the people to rebuild in the name of their God, Hunter joined Zerubbabel and Jeshua in rekindling the effort to reconstruct the Temple. Their work soon attracted attention from the authorities: Tataniah, the governor west of the Euphrates, accompanied by his associates, challenged the project, demanding to know who had authorized the reconstruction. Despite the obstacles and scrutiny, Hunter and his companions persevered, guided by faith and the encouragement of the prophets—striving to restore both their temple and their community spirit. Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible! On this October 3rd episode, join your host Hunter as we journey together through Day 277 of our year-long exploration of scripture. Today, we'll open the pages of Ezra chapters 5 and 6, where we witness the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem and God's faithfulness to His people. We'll pause with David in Psalm 138 to reflect on gratitude and God's loving kindness. Then, we'll dive into Luke 16, where Jesus shares parables about stewardship, faithfulness, and the powerful story of the rich man and Lazarus—a timely reminder about the true riches found in God, not in material wealth. Along the way, Hunter offers reflections on heart posture, spiritual blindness, and the gift of being “named” and known by God. He closes with heartfelt prayers and practical encouragement to care for both body and soul, reminding us all that as we seek God together—no matter where we are in the world—we are deeply loved. So, grab your Bible, settle in, and let's walk this path of faith together today. Absolutely! Here are 10 thoughtful discussion questions based on the October 3rd, 2025 episode of the Daily Radio Bible: Reflecting on Ezra 5-6, what stood out to you about the rebuilding of the Temple and the challenges the Jews faced? How did God's intervention influence the outcome? In Psalm 138, David expresses deep gratitude and trust in God's faithfulness. Are there recent moments in your life where you experienced God's faithfulness in a personal way? In Luke 16, Jesus shares the parable of the shrewd manager. What lessons do you think Jesus wanted us to learn about stewardship, honesty, and the use of worldly resources? The story of the rich man and Lazarus highlights issues of wealth, privilege, and compassion. How do you see these themes playing out in your own life or in your community? Hunter discusses being blinded by riches and what it means to ‘forget your name.' In practical terms, what are ways we can guard our hearts against spiritual blindness or self-centeredness? What role do faith and trust play in our interactions with others, especially those in need, as reflected in the teachings of this episode? The episode highlights “the named ones”—those remembered in scripture for their faith. Who are the ‘named ones' in your own spiritual journey that inspire you? Hunter encourages listeners to take care of both body and soul. How do you balance spiritual and physical well-being in your daily life? Prayer is central to this episode. How has prayer—either through traditional prayers like the Lord's Prayer, or your own spontaneous prayers—shaped your relationship with God? The episode ends with the reminder that ‘you are loved.' How does knowing and internalizing God's love change the way you approach daily challenges and relationships? Feel free to use these questions for personal reflection or group discussion! Certainly! Here's a comprehensive sequence of topics covered in the episode "Daily Radio Bible – October 3rd, 2025," with sub-topic bullets for each primary topic: 1. Introduction and Purpose of the Podcast Hunter greets listeners and notes the date and day of the Bible journey. Introduces himself as a Bible reading coach, journeying with listeners daily. Emphasizes the goal: to let the Bible guide towards the Living Word, Jesus. 2. Daily Scripture Readings Book of Ezra (Chapters 5 and 6) Prophets Haggai and Zechariah encourage the rebuilding of the temple. Opposition from local officials and the intervention of King Darius. King Darius confirms Cyrus's decree allowing the rebuilding and orders resources to be provided. Celebration and dedication of the completed temple. Celebration of Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread. Psalm 138 David gives thanks and praises God's unfailing love and faithfulness. Emphasis on God's care for the humble and protection in times of trouble. Affirmation of God's enduring faithful love and the plea not to be abandoned. Luke 16 Parable of the shrewd manager, focusing on faithfulness with worldly resources. Teaching on the impossibility of serving both God and money. Critique of the Pharisees' value system. Parable of the rich man and Lazarus, highlighting the consequences of hard-heartedness and blindness to spiritual poverty. 3. Reflection and Commentary on the Readings Focus on the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Contrast between the nameless rich man (representing spiritual blindness) and Lazarus (a named, faithful individual). Warning about the hardening of heart due to wealth and reliance on status. Emphasis on the hope of resurrection and being known—having a name—by God. The importance of living by faith rather than trusting wealth or reputation. 4. Prayer and Personal Application Multiple prayers for guidance, protection, and for God's purposes to be fulfilled. Petition for peace, love, understanding, and living out God's will in practical ways. Gratitude expressed for God's mercies, creation, and redemption. 5. Practical Encouragement and Farewell Hunter encourages listeners to also take care of their physical bodies (e.g., taking a walk, enjoying nature). Affirms the value of time spent investing in the soul and spirit through Scripture. Personal anecdote about enjoying disc golf and being mindful of seasonal changes. Invitation to return for the next podcast episode and a reminder of God's love for each listener. This episode weaves together Scripture reading, reflection, prayer, and practical life encouragement, offering both spiritual insight and daily life application for listeners. Today we dove deep into the wisdom of Ezra, Psalms, and Luke, exploring how faith, gratitude, and humility can transform both our personal and professional lives. We learned that true success isn't measured by wealth or status, but by the richness of our soul and our generosity toward others. Remember: Invest in what truly matters—your character, your purpose, and your impact on those around you. Let every day be an opportunity to build lasting value, both in business and in life. Absolutely! Here's a LinkedIn post inspired by the October 3rd, 2025 episode of the Daily Radio Bible podcast: On today's episode of the Daily Radio Bible, I was reminded of the power of faith, perspective, and gratitude. Hunter took us through passages from Ezra, Psalms, and Luke—forming a moving meditation on humility, spiritual focus, and the value of small, daily investments in our souls. Here are three key takeaways that resonated with me: Guard against the blindness of privilege: The story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16) serves as a reminder not to let wealth or comfort blind us to our own need for God or the needs of others. Faithfulness in little things matters: Whether it's tending to the tasks at hand, caring for your health, or nurturing your relationships—Hunter encourages us to value the daily “little things” that shape our character. Invest in what truly pays off: As Hunter beautifully put it, spending time listening, reflecting, and drawing near to God is an investment that yields lifelong dividends, unlike many of the distractions that vie for our attention. Let's prioritize what's truly valuable—both in our spiritual journeys and our day-to-day routines. Have you made time lately for what matters most? #DailyRadioBible #Faith #PersonalGrowth #SpiritualWellness #Gratitude Subject: Feasting with the Named Ones – DRB Newsletter for October 3, 2025 Dear DRB Family, Grace and peace to you on this beautiful October day! As always, thank you for joining us on our daily journey through the Bible. Our latest episode, "October 3rd, 2025," is now available, and we're so glad you could share in this time around the warmth of God's love. Today's Readings: Ezra 5-6 Psalm 138 Luke 16 Highlights from This Episode In today's reading, we revisited the incredible story of how faith, perseverance, and God's providence enabled the Israelites to rebuild the temple amidst opposition. As we learned from Ezra, even earthly kings like Cyrus and Darius can become surprising instruments in God's redemption story. Psalm 138 reminded us of God's constant faithfulness, while in Luke 16, Jesus offered the stirring parable of the rich man and Lazarus. A Reflection on Names, Riches, and Faith Host Hunter shared a poignant meditation on the difference between the “named ones” and the nameless in Jesus's story. While the rich man in the parable was left without a name—lost in his riches and blind to his need for God—Lazarus was named, honored, and welcomed at Abraham's side. The reminder for us: our trust belongs not in wealth or reputation, but in the God who raises the humble and knows us by name. Let us nurture hearts that recognize our need for God and rejoice in the gifts—both earthly and eternal—that He freely gives. Daily Encouragement Hunter also encouraged us to move our bodies in gratitude for the life we have, just as we invest time nourishing our souls with Scripture. Whether it's a walk outdoors, a gentle stretch, or simply deep breaths of fresh air, these moments can remind us of God's presence. Let's Pray Together As always, this episode closed with heartfelt prayers of thanksgiving, intercession, and the Lord's Prayer—rooting us in God's goodness and mercy each new day. Action Steps: Take some time today to move your body and thank God for the life and breath you've been given. Reflect on the ways God has named and loved you, regardless of your circumstances. Invite someone to listen to today's episode and join our community of daily Bible readers. Thank you for investing these precious moments into your soul. Until next time, remember: you are loved. In His love, The Daily Radio Bible Team P.S. Have feedback or a prayer request? We'd love to hear from you—just reply to this email! And don't forget to take time to breathe, move, and let God's joy be your strength today. [Listen to the episode] [Visit our podcast page] [Support the DRB]

Pastor Samson's sermon from Ezra 3 reminded us that our future is secure when surrendered to God. He showed how the Israelites, under Zerubbabel, rebuilt the temple by trusting God beyond their past regrets, present obstacles, and uncertain tomorrow. In the same way, we are called to release our yesterday, overcome today's challenges, and yield our future plans so God can fulfill His greater, eternal purposes in our lives. Listen and be challenged.Support the show

Faith for the Coming Wilderness (7) (audio) David Eells – 9/28/25 Father, we ask You in Jesus' name that Your power, Your anointing, Your wisdom be in this study, and not only that, Lord, we ask that You would bless the people who are reading and hearing this will have eyes to see and ears to hear. We ask that You would bless them and that Your anointing will go into their heart, that the Word and the truth will go into their heart to put the courage of the Lord in them. We thank You, Father for this opportunity to share with the brethren, and we thank You so much for blessing all who are studying with us, in Jesus' name. I'm going to continue with our study on faith for the coming wilderness, and I want to share with you how you can prepare yourself for this wilderness. Let's start in (Heb.12:22) But ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable hosts of angels, (23) to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect. The text here is about going to Zion, going to the City of God, and becoming a member of the “just men made perfect.” (25) See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not when they refused him that warned [them] on earth, much more [shall not] we [escape] who turn away from him that [warneth] from heaven. Some people think they're going into a great escape. They think they're going in the rapture, but obviously, the escape here is not talking about their kind of escape. You see, they're refusing the warning of God and they are not getting prepared. I learned a long time ago that whether you go or whether you stay, you have to do the same thing: you have to prepare. Even if your theology is wrong, if you're walking in the steps of Jesus Christ, then you'll be ready for what is coming because God has prepared tribulation for His people. Tribulation is coming upon the whole world, people. We have to be careful to accept His warning from Heaven. He is going to shake this world. Even right now, as a matter of fact, we are in a pre-tribulation shaking that God is going to use to bring in the New World Order. Some people insist that God doesn't have anything to do with that, but He does. He is the One Who is uniting the whole world against apostate Christianity, just as He has always done throughout all the Scriptures. Every time God raised up a new world order, it was to persecute His people who had fallen into apostasy. We know this is so because (Ecc.1:9) That which hath been is that which shall be; and that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. God just repeats history and He always takes the credit for it. (Ecc.3:15) That which is hath been long ago; and that which is to be hath long ago been: and God seeketh again that which is passed away. In Isaiah, the Lord takes credit for raising up the Assyrian Empire against His people. (Isa.10:5) Ho Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, the staff in whose hand is mine indignation! (6) I will send him against a profane nation, and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets. (7) Howbeit he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off nations not a few. The Lord put it in their hearts to come against His people and plunder them. Today, since His people are worldwide and not just little, natural Israel, God is raising up a worldwide Beast to come against His people. It's God, saints! God is behind all of it! (Eph.1:11) In whom also we were made a heritage, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his will. God works all things after the counsel of His Own will, and “all things” doesn't leave out much, does it? Just because He uses vessels of honor and vessels of dishonor, some people like to give credit to the vessels of dishonor, but no, it's the Lord; it's all the Lord. He's working all things together for our good. (Rom.8:28) And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, [even] to them that are called according to [his] purpose. And what does He say here in the rest of this text? (Heb.12:26) Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more will I make to tremble not the earth only, but also the heaven. (27) And this [word,] Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that have been made, that those things which are not shaken may remain. Listen to me, God is going to shake everything so that only His Kingdom remains. The reason for the shaking is to break all of the strength of man, to break all of the power of man's ability to save himself. Do you know why so many people are going to run to the Lord in these days? It's because they've always depended upon their own power in the past, but God is going to take away the ability of people to save themselves. I've mentioned some of the judgments that have already come to the Gulf Coast of America. Hurricane Katrina in 2005, for example, flooded New Orleans and killed over 1,800 people but it also knocked out about 80% of the oil production, which really hurt the trucking industry and the farmers. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 and its use of Corexit oil dispersant was a great catastrophe that poisoned the Gulf and destroyed the fishing industry, but we're just seeing the beginning of these things. It's going to get a lot worse. Places in this country that never see hurricanes have seen hurricanes, but some of those that don't see hurricanes are going to see earthquakes. There are going to be nuclear attacks, there are going to be biological attacks. It will come to the point where there won't be jobs, there won't be gasoline. It will come to the point where the water is poisoned, and the air is poisoned. It will come to the point where there's nothing that man can do to save you, and you won't be able to do anything in the flesh to save yourself. Everything that can be shaken will be shaken so that men will turn to the only Savior because it is in our weakness that God's power will be made manifest. (2Co.12:9) And he hath said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my power is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. His power is made perfect in our weakness. (Heb.12:28) Wherefore, receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us have grace, whereby we may offer service well-pleasing to God with reverence and awe: (29) for our God is a consuming fire. So, not only is He shaking the earth, He's burning up the wood, hay and stubble of our lives. He's a consuming fire. Back when I was a very young Christian, my wife had a dream in which she saw me standing on a rock in the middle of a vast ocean, and it seemed that this was the only thing that was above the water. I was standing on this rock with leg braces on, like those a polio victim would have. At that time, I didn't know much about the ways and the work of the Lord, but the Lord really spoke to me through that dream. He showed me that the waters represented the curse of the Word on this world, just like the flood waters in the time of Noah represented the curse of the Word upon the world. The flood waters were the curse of the Word upon the wicked who had disobeyed God's Word, but at the same time, the waters were salvation to Noah and those who were in the ark floating above. God said through Moses, (Deu.11:26) Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse: (27) the blessing, if ye shall hearken unto the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day; (28) and the curse, if ye shall not hearken unto the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known. The Word of God is a blessing to those who are humble and submitted to it; it's a blessing to those who are walking in it, but it's a curse to those who rebel against it. And the curse is coming to take away everything that God's people have depended upon other than Him. He's a jealous God (Exodus 34:14; Deuteronomy 6:15; Joshua 24:19; etc.) He wants to be our only Savior, which is why He's bringing us to a place of great weakness. Being weak to save ourselves is a part of God's salvation; it's not just faith. (Php.4:13) I can do all things in him that strengtheneth me. We can do all things through Christ; He's the One Who strengthens us. The problem is that we're used to working things out ourselves, rather than trusting in the Lord. We're used to working things out ourselves, rather than putting our faith in Him and resting in Him to bring it to pass. We, ourselves, are the biggest hindrance to receiving the benefits of God. This shaking that's coming is for the purpose of judging all the “gods of Egypt,” as God said about His people who were in bondage in Egypt, in bondage to the old man. (Exo.12:12) For I will go through the land of Egypt in that night, and will smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. That represents Christians today and their gods, which are the things and demons they serve and God wants to rid them of in their wilderness experience. Christians today have been in bondage in Egypt. They've been in bondage to the old man, the Egyptian. The old man was the one who died in the baptism of the Red Sea (Exodus 15:4; Acts 7:36; Psalm 106:9; etc.) and the new man, the Israelite, is the one who came up on the other side. (Hebrews 11:29; Nehemiah 9:9-10; etc.). Well, the Lord brought those judgments upon Egypt to set the Israelites free from bondage to their worldly lusts. You realize that this is now us. That's the people of God. We've been in bondage in Egypt but now we're coming to our wilderness and the wilderness, of course, is the Tribulation (Revelation 12 and 17). We're coming to the same point in time as Israel when they were about to start their wilderness, and I was given a revelation about those braces I was wearing in my wife's dream. I learned they represented an external strength that was going to come to me, a strength from God that would enable me to stand on the Rock of Jesus Christ when the curse is everywhere around us. You know this is what God's going to do. (Zec.4:6) Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel (meaning: born from Babylon), saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. This is what God's going to do for a people who cannot save themselves, who cannot provide for themselves, in a wilderness experience. God Almighty is going to do it. He is going to be our strength. When our strength is worn out, He's going to be there. And He is a consuming fire. He's going to burn up all the wood, hay, and stubble through the Tribulation that we're going through, until only the gold, silver, and precious stones will be left of those who are truly His elect. (1Co.3:10) According to the grace of God which was given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder I laid a foundation; and another buildeth thereon. But let each man take heed how he buildeth thereon. (11) For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (12) But if any man buildeth on the foundation gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, stubble (the last three, which burns in the fiery trial, leaving only what is valuable in the Kingdom.); (13) each man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself shall prove each man's work of what sort it is. (14) If any man's work shall abide which he built thereon, he shall receive a reward. (15) If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as through fire. Many years ago, I used to work for the Exxon Refinery in Baton Rouge, and one day, I got a little revelation, and I'm going to share it with you: it's pretty neat. When I was a machinist, I worked on a lot of pumps, drivers, turbines, jet engines, and things like that. It was interesting to me because I was a very mechanically minded person. Now, a pump is basically a shaft that goes through a housing, and inside the housing there are impellers to pump the fluid, but the fluid needs to be sealed somehow to keep it from coming down the shaft and out of the pump. Well, usually it's a seal, but sometimes it's what we called “packing.” Packing is something that's kind of like rope with different substances mixed in with it and we would pack that rope around the hole. Then we would use a gland with bolts to pull the packing up in there to seal between the shaft and the housing of the pump. So, anyway, the shaft might be turning at 3,600 rpms or 3,700 rpms, or even more, in some cases. The shaft is running very, very fast, and depending upon the size of the shaft, there's a lot of friction there, but no matter what kind of packing we would use, if we tightened up the gland too tight to try to seal off the leak, the friction would cause that packing to get very, very hot. In some cases, it would smoke, and in some cases, it would even catch on fire. You had to loose the packing just enough to have the right amount of fluid come through there so that it wouldn't leak out, but at the same time would lubricate the packing. It was a ticklish situation because, if the packing got a little old, sometimes you couldn't tighten up on it at all. It would smoke and leak. We continually had a problem come up where a pump that had been running for a while, and we had to try to tighten the packing up, and it would start smoking, but if you didn't tighten it up, it would leak, so it was kind of a catch-22 situation. Finally, we had a salesman come by who brought some packing that they called Graphoil, and I tried it one day in a pump that was very ticklish. It didn't matter what kind of packing you put in there; if you tightened it up very much, the packing we had would just start smoking because it was a hydrocarbon. And if it got hot enough, it would catch it on fire; the fire would literally be coming out of the hole of the shaft of the packing. So we bought this new product, this graphoil, and I was going to test it for them. I shoved that stuff up in there, and I tightened down on it, and I found I didn't have to tighten down on it very much until it sealed off the leak. The salesman said, “Well, tighten down on it some more.” I said, “I don't want it to catch on fire and burn up.” But he insisted, “No, don't worry about that and just tighten down on it some more,” so I did. I tightened down on it some more, and I told him, “Man, this is pretty good stuff. It doesn't catch on fire.” And he said to me, “Tighten down on it some more.” So, again, I tightened down on it, and nothing was leaking out, but it still wasn't smoking or catching on fire. I asked, “What's the deal here? How come it doesn't burn?” And do you know what he answered me? He said, “It doesn't burn because it's already burned; it's totally burned. It's all graphite; there's no rope in there. It's all totally burned graphite, so it can't burn because it's already totally burned when you put it in there.” Do you remember when they burned up all the diseased cattle over there in England during the Mad Cow Disease outbreak? They did that because that was the only way to destroy the prions that caused the disease. A fire purifies any contaminant, and what's left can't really be destroyed; it's already burned, it can't be burned anymore. It was as if that salesman was comparing our God to being a consuming fire. Ashes are pure, and that's the revelation! We're going into the fire, saints, to be purified, so that this world can't touch us and so that we won't ultimately go in the big fire. By His grace and by His power, God is going to make us able to go through this consuming fire until there's nothing that the world can do to us, until there's nothing but His fruit and His life in us. Hallelujah!! Paul called it a “baptism” when the Israelites went through the Red Sea and into the wilderness. (1Co.10:1) For I would not, brethren, have you ignorant, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; (2) and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea. Do you know what we're doing in our baptism? We're celebrating the victory of the death of the old man because he died at the cross, just like the Israelites celebrated the victory when the old man was put to death at the Red Sea. (Exo.15:1) Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously: The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. The “horse and his rider” represented the old man who was coming after them to bring them back into bondage. The horse was the beast, the flesh that had been harnessed to serve the old man, and this is what went down in the Red Sea. I'm not talking about the body; I'm talking about the appetites of the natural man to serve the mind of the flesh. The rider and the strength of the flesh that was harnessed to serve that rider, who was the old man, died in the Red Sea, died in the baptism, and they were celebrating the victory. It's the same thing we do at baptism: (Rom.6:11) Even so reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus. We reckon ourselves to be dead unto sin but alive unto God, or in other words, we reckon that the old man can no longer do us harm and we continue to walk by faith in that. Many people believe the devil, or they believe the old man, or they believe the world, and by doing that, they give authority to the old man to bring them back into bondage. You need to believe what the Bible says: (Rom.6:1) What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? (2) God forbid. We who died to sin, how shall we any longer live therein? (3) Or are ye ignorant that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? (4) We were buried therefore with him through baptism unto death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. (5) For if we have become united with [him] in the likeness of his death, we shall be also [in the likeness] of his resurrection; (6) knowing this, that our old man was crucified with [him,] that the body of sin might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin; (7) for he that hath died is justified from sin. (We reckon that old man to be like the graphoil packing; he is already burned up; there is nothing left for the big fire at the end.  The valuable stuff left doesn't burn. We consider the old man to be dead and the new man to be alive. If you walk in that faith, you'll find you have power when you are in the trials and tribulations of life, and the old flesh wants to take over. You'll have power when the devil tells you that you don't have authority. You'll have power when the devil tells you that you don't have more power than him. You'll have power when the devil tells you that he's the giant in the land and you can't overcome him. By faith, if you will celebrate the victory that you were given when you became united with Christ in the likeness of His death, you'll find that you have power over the old man. The Israelites always kept forgetting this fact and they kept giving authority back to the old man and his devil. (Exo.15:2) The Lord is my strength and song, And he is become my salvation.... What does it symbolize when the horse is put to death? It means you're no longer counting on the flesh of the beast any longer; you're no longer trusting in his power. The Lord then becomes your strength and your salvation. The people who live in Egypt trust in the Egyptians for their salvation. They trust in the strength of the flesh to save them in any situation, which is the reason God wanted to bring these Israelites into the wilderness. He wanted them where they could no longer trust in the power of man, no longer trust in their old man, their flesh, to save them. (Exo.15:2) The Lord is my strength and song, And He is become my salvation: This is my God, and I will praise him; My father's God, and I will exalt him. Yes, we're going back to our “father's God”! Paul said, (1Co.4:15) For though ye have ten thousand tutors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I begat you through the gospel. I'm talking about the apostolic fathers. We're going back to our fathers' God, not the god of apostate Christianity to which so many Christians are in bondage. We're going back to our fathers' God and we're going to trust in His salvation. You see, even after you've been baptized and you believe the Good News, the Gospel, that the old man is not a problem anymore because the Lord has already dealt with him, and you believe that sin's not a problem anymore because the Lord has already dealt with that, and you believe that sickness is not a problem because the Lord has already dealt with that, the enemy still comes after you. And sometimes you become convinced by him that he still has power over you. (Exo.15:9) The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; My desire shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them. But God had another plan, didn't He? The Egyptians followed the righteous into the Red Sea and were destroyed. You see, the waters of God's Word are meant to fulfill what baptism gave us by faith as a type and shadow. The waters of God's Word will put to death your old man and take away his power. Whenever you remember what the Lord did for you and you celebrate the victory, you take away the power of the old man. Don't ever believe what your flesh is telling you. Don't believe it when the devil tells you through your flesh that he still has power. No! That old man's dead and he has no power anymore. Now the Lord is your Savior; continue to trust in Him. (2Co.5:17) Wherefore if any man is in Christ, [he is] a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold, they are become new. Old things have passed away and all things have become new; you're a new creature in Christ. Remember the Good News because, if you get talked out of the Good News, you'll make the same mistakes that the Israelites made in the wilderness. They wanted to go back to the power of Egypt because God brought them to places and positions where they knew they had no strength to save themselves. Do you know what happens when you get into a position like that? Your flesh cries out to go back to Egypt because its tired of the manna of the Word. It tells you to go back to the flesh pots, go back to a place where your flesh will be sure to be fed more flesh. Where you serve the flesh and don't have the fiery trial that makes you fit for the Kingdom. But the Lord is not going to let that happen, saints! He's not going to let us go back to Egypt. In these coming days, He's going to keep us in the wilderness until the old man's dead because the world will be a wilderness. Of course, at baptism, we know the old man's dead, but when you go past your baptism, you're going into the place where what you received by faith at baptism must now be manifested. And the way it's manifested is you let the water of the Word put to death the old man. You hold fast the confession of your hope that it waver not. (Heb.10:23) Let us hold fast the confession of our hope that it waver not; for he is faithful that promised. You reckon the old man to be dead. He made you free from sin. Don't forget it. It says that twice in Romans 6: (Rom.6:11) Even so reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus. (17) But thanks be to God, that, whereas ye were servants of sin, ye became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching whereunto ye were delivered; (18) and being made free from sin, ye became servants of righteousness. Remember, this is the way we overcome sin; it's by faith. It's not by works, not by self efforts, not by our power. If you're trusting in your ability, you're going back to the old man, back to the horse and rider. Legalism does that; it causes you to go back to the self-righteousness of religion in Egypt, but God wouldn't let His people sacrifice in Egypt. (Exo.8:25) And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land. (26) And Moses said, It is not meet so to do; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the Lord our God: lo, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us? When they sacrificed in Egypt, they sacrificed the abomination of the Egyptians. So God is going to keep His people in the wilderness until everything that needs to be burned up is burned up. This really is a joyful thing, because the people of God are once again going to walk in the steps of Jesus Christ. They're going to take up their cross and follow Him. Now, Miriam, the sister of Aaron and Moses, said, (Exo.15:21) Sing ye to the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously (This is a revelation of our victory that was given to us through Jesus Christ. He conquered the old man.); The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea. (22) And Moses led Israel onward from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. Here's one of the first trials that God was going to use to put to death the old man and to cause them to learn to trust in the power of God. He was going to manifestly put to death what died symbolically at the Red Sea. You may have heard the saying, “Well, He got them out of Egypt but He had to get Egypt out of them,” and that's so true, isn't it? We come out of the world through faith in Jesus Christ but then God has to get the world out of us. You see, He wants us to walk totally in the Kingdom. (23) And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah (“Bitterness”). (24) And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? (25) And he cried unto the Lord; And the Lord showed him a tree, and he cast it into the waters, and the waters were made sweet. I believe that this “tree” represents the cross, where God gave us new life. The old man died there, and Jesus Christ, the new man, was given to us. 2 Corinthians tells us the same parable but in a slightly different way. (2Co.3:18) But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit. What happened at the cross, what happened at the Red Sea, what happened at our baptism, was that the old man died and the new man came to life, and that new man is Jesus Christ. He is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Col.1:26) [Even] the mystery which hath been hid for ages and generations: but now hath it been manifested to his saints, (27) to whom God was pleased to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: (28) whom we proclaim, admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ. We are to believe that, (Gal.2:20) I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me: and that [life] which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, [the faith] which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me. That's the Gospel. If you begin to confess that, you will see the power of Jesus Christ in you to overcome these things. We sometimes have a failure attitude, an attitude of unbelief, when it comes to trials and the ability of the Lord in us to overcome in our trials. It is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” We now have everything that He was. Well, when the Israelites came to their trial where they didn't have any water, God showed Moses a particular tree to cast into the waters and the waters were made sweet. In the wilderness, “water” represents life and we know from James that the sweet and the bitter “waters” are talking about the tongue. We've taught that part of the Gospel is “confession”; it's confessing what the Gospel says is ours. (Rom.10:10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Murmuring in the wilderness is the opposite of the sweet waters. (Jas.3:8) But the tongue can no man tame; [it is] a restless evil, [it is] full of deadly poison. (9) Therewith bless we the Lord and Father; and therewith curse we men, who are made after the likeness of God. This is not talking about speaking what the world calls “curses”; this is talking about speaking what the Bible calls “curses.” The Bible calls it a “curse” when you don't speak in agreement with what the Word says. The Lord told us in the last four verses of the Bible, (Rev.22:18) I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto them, God shall add unto him the plagues which are written in this book: (19) and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book. If you add to His Words or take away from His Words, the curses of this Book are upon you, and He'll take away your part from the tree of life! We bring ourselves under a curse with our own mouth when we disagree with God's Word. We bring ourselves under a curse when we agree with the world and with the devil, and with what the old man says, but he's dead. He doesn't have a right to talk anymore. So we bring ourselves under a curse because we have disagreed with the Gospel. The Gospel is the Good News. (Rom.1:16) For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. The Gospel is the power of God to save the one who believes it, but we prove whether we believe it by our actions. When they went into the wilderness, the Israelites proved they didn't believe it by their actions, their complaining and murmuring. We need to pray what David said in (Psa.141:3) Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; Keep the door of my lips. He wanted to be careful about what came out of his mouth. We're also told, (Pro.18:21) Death and life are in the power of the tongue; And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. We need to agree with God; we need to be proven to be believers. We need to have the sweet waters that the cross has given to us, not the bitter waters that bring the curse. As he goes on to say here, the tongue is a restless evil, a deadly poison. (Jas.3:10) Out of the same mouth cometh forth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. (11) Doth the fountain send forth from the same opening sweet [water] and bitter? (12) Can a fig tree, my brethren, yield olives, or a vine figs? Neither [can] salt water yield sweet. If we back up a little bit, in this same text, James talks about the great power of salvation that comes from the tongue. (Jas.3:2) For in many things we all stumble. If any stumbleth not in word, the same is a perfect man.... Mature people don't stumble in their words, and that's how you get to maturity. You don't agree with the world; you don't agree with the devil; you don't agree with the curse because Jesus bore the curse. You agree with what God said, and you agree with His promises. You “hold fast the confession of” your “hope that it waver not; for He is faithful that promised.” Anybody who doesn't do that will die in the wilderness. (Jas.3:2) For in many things we all stumble. If any stumbleth not in word, the same is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body also. The sweet water of the tongue has the power to bridle the body, to bring it under control, to make it serve the Lord. The horse represents the very opposite. The horse represents bridling the flesh to serve the old man, bridling the beast to serve the old man. (3) Now if we put bridles into their mouths that they may obey us, we turn about their whole body also, (4) Behold, the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by rough winds, are yet turned about by a very small rudder, whither the impulse of the steersman willeth. (5) So the tongue also is a little member, and boasteth great things.... In other words, the tongue can turn about your body; the tongue can bring repentance. People think repentance is crying to the Lord about their sins, but “repentance” just means “turning around and going the other way.” The Greek word for “repentance” is metanoeo and it means “to change your mind or purpose ... involving a change for the better.” The tongue is able to turn us around. When you change your mind and you speak in agreement with the Word, power is given to you. You already know we are justified through faith; we are counted righteous through faith. (Jas.2:18) Yea, a man will say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith apart from [thy] works, and I by my works will show thee [my] faith. So when you speak in agreement with the Word by faith, you are justified. Also, (Rom.3:4) God forbid: yea, let God be found true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy words, And mightest prevail when thou comest into judgment. If you want to be justified in your words when you come into judgment, let God be true and every man a liar. Now, why do we have to be justified? It's because without justification, you don't get grace, which means “favor.” If you want to be justified before God, if you want God's favor upon you, then say what God says. Don't say what the world says. If you will do that, you will find God's favor upon you. When the Israelites murmured in the wilderness, it was because they disagreed with God. Instead, they sided with the devil, and they sided with his son, which is the old man, the flesh. They didn't receive grace from God and they died in the wilderness. He goes on to say here, (Jas.3:5) So the tongue also is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how much wood is kindled by how small a fire! Your tongue can destroy you. Every time you open your mouth, you are speaking faith. Every time you open your mouth, you're showing that you believe in the devil and the curse by agreeing with them, or you're showing that you believe in God and the blessing He gave you at the cross by agreeing with Him. You're always speaking faith and showing what you believe; therefore, you're giving authority to someone every time you open your mouth. (Mat.18:18) Verily I say unto you, what things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and what things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. You're “binding” and “loosing” every time you open your mouth, without ever saying “I bind” or “I loose,” as some people like to do. When you agree with the devil, you're giving faith to him, and giving him power. When you agree with God, you give faith to Him and you give Him power. You ask, “How do I give God power?” Well, if you remember, Jesus went to His own hometown (Mat.13:58) And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. He was powerless and it was because of what they believed. Jesus said, (Mat.9:29) … According to your faith be it done unto you. And He told the centurion, (8:13) … Go thy way; as thou hast believed, [so] be it done unto thee.... You give power to God because God has given you authority to give Him power. He said, “What you bind on earth is bound in heaven, and what you loose on earth is loosed in heaven.” Now, of course, God always has power, but He's not going to use it for you if you're not justified, and you're not justified if you disagree with Him. You have to agree with Him; otherwise, you are destroying yourself. The lost people out there destroy themselves with their own words and actions; they have all the faith in the world, in the devil and in the curse, which Jesus bore. (Jas.3:6) And the tongue is a fire: the world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defileth the whole body.... The tongue defiles the body; did you know that? Jesus said, (Mar.7:14) … Hear me all of you, and understand: (15) there is nothing from without the man, that going into him can defile him; but the things which proceed out of the man are those that defile the man. (16) If any man hath ears to hear, let him hear. (17) And when he was entered into the house from the multitude, his disciples asked of him the parable. (18) And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Perceive ye not, that whatsoever from without goeth into the man, it cannot defile him; (19) because it goeth not into his heart, but into his belly, and goeth out into the draught? [This he said,] making all meats clean. (20) And he said, That which proceedeth out of the man, that defileth the man. (21) For from within, out of the heart of men, evil thoughts proceed, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, (22) covetings, wickednesses, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, railing, pride, foolishness: (23) all these evil things proceed from within, and defile the man. There are a lot of people with religious spirits who are pretty legalistic about what they can eat and what they can't eat, but “This He said, making all meats clean.” That's the Word of the Lord, saints. He rebuked Peter about that: (Act.10:11) And he beholdeth the heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending, as it were a great sheet, let down by four corners upon the earth: (12) wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts and creeping things of the earth and birds of the heaven. (13) And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill and eat. (14) But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common and unclean. (15) And a voice [came] unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, make not thou common. (16) And this was done thrice: and straightway the vessel was received up into heaven. The Lord told Peter, “What I've made clean, don't you make unclean,” so we can see that was also being used as a parable of the Gentiles that He'd made clean. (Act.10:28) … [Yet] unto me hath God showed that I should not call any man common or unclean: ... (35) but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is acceptable to him. (Jas.3:6) And the tongue is a fire; the world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the wheel of nature (or, in other words, “cycle of life”).... How can your tongue set on fire the cycle of life? Well, the cycle of life is like sowing and reaping. What you sow, you later reap, then you take out of what you've reaped to sow again; it's a cycle. For instance, if you plant corn, after it's grown and you've harvested the corn, you save some of the corn so you can use it to plant the corn again. You sow, you reap. It's the exact same way with our nature. When you're filled with holiness, it comes out of your mouth, and what do you do? You reap what you've sown and then you sow it again. (Mat.12:35) The good man out of his good treasure bringeth forth good things: and the evil man out of his evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. (36) And I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. (37) For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. It's the same with the wicked tongue: you agree with the curse and you get the curse, so then you're living a cursed life, and what comes out of your mouth is more curses. And so what you receive back again is more of the curse, which is what you're sowing and reaping. (Jas.3:6) And the tongue is a fire; the world of iniquity among our members is the tongue, which defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the wheel of nature, and is set on fire by hell. We have to learn to agree with God. When the Israelites went into the wilderness, their big mistake was that they agreed with the curse. They walked by what they saw, what they felt, and what they heard. They didn't walk by “thus saith the Lord,” and listen to me, this is a revelation for us. What we need to do from the time when we first enter into our wilderness is to walk by “thus saith the Lord.” We all need to learn to live supernaturally and there's only one way you can do that: you have to walk by “thus saith the Lord.” You have to accept and speak the Word. I'm reminded of Peter, when he stepped out of the boat: he lived supernaturally, and he stepped out on only one word. (Mat.14:28) And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee upon the waters. (29) And he said, Come. And Peter went down from the boat, and walked upon the waters to come to Jesus. (30) But when he saw the wind, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, Lord, save me. (31) And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and took hold of him, and saith unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? Well, the Lord said “Come” and Peter stepped out of the boat, but when he got his eyes off of the Lord, when he got his eyes off the Word and onto the waves, he started sinking. When Peter started walking by sight in the desolation of the wilderness, so to speak, he started sinking. We have been given the power to walk supernaturally through faith in the Gospel and the Gospel needs to be coming out of our mouths in the situations where we don't have any strength to save ourselves. As God told Paul, “My power is made perfect in weakness.” When you have no way to save yourself, you will turn to the Lord. Everybody who is called of God, everybody who is the elect of God, turns to the Lord. That's why the wilderness is there; it's bringing us to the place where the horse and the rider no longer have power, and we need to remember that. We can live supernaturally. We can live above this world, even in a wilderness where there is no provision; we can live there by faith in the Word of God. The cross made sure of that for us, which is what Exodus 15:25 is saying. Moses cast the tree into the waters and the bitter waters became sweet. Do you know what happened at the cross? That old man died. The one who spoke the bitter waters died. The one who gave faith to the devil died. The one who brought the curse upon that life died. The cross crucified him and that old man is dead. (Rom.6:11) Even so reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus. If you will do this, you will be united with Christ in the likeness of His death, and if you will do this, you will be justified before God. He will give you His grace, His favor, and so you will be able to walk out that life in the wilderness. Returning to our text in (Exo.15:25) And he cried unto the Lord; And the Lord showed him a tree, and he cast it into the waters, and the waters were made sweet. There he made for them a statute (“law”) and an ordinance (“penalty for breaking the law”), and there he proved them; (26) and he said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice.... We don't need to hear any other voice in this coming wilderness; we need to “hearken,” which means “hear and obey,” the voice of the Lord. If we will do that and not walk according to the ears of this world nor the sight of this world, if we let that voice be our voice, then we'll have this benefit. (26) And he said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his eyes, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon thee, which I have put upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee. Why did He make this promise to them at the very beginning of their wilderness? (1Co.10:11) Now these things happened unto them by way of example; and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come. He made this promise at the very beginning of their wilderness because they are a type and a shadow for us. This promise is for us because we are about to go into a wilderness, and one of the judgments that is falling upon the world is that all of the diseases that man has made are spreading but so will be the cure. “He sent His Word and healed them.” Mass healings like the world has never seen will come to glorify God. I had a vision like that one time. In the vision, my wife and I were resting in lawn chairs in front of our house, and we were looking at this power line going from pole to pole across in  the front of the house. This power line was sagging in the middle until it almost touched the ground, and we were studying this sagging power line when suddenly a tornado came over the top of that power line and just picked us up and carried us away. And the Lord explained this little vision to me. He said, “That power line represents the power of man and the reason it was sagging and almost touching the ground is because it's coming to an end.” The power of man is coming to an end. And when the tornado came and picked us up, that represented the power of God, like that which carried away Elijah (2 Kings 2:11). Shortly after that we were moved to Pensacola, Florida from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and God paid the whole bill. Many miraculous things happened, including that He found us the very house He'd shown us in visions. He gave us the house, He gave us the new car; everything we'd asked for in faith, He did. The power of man came to an end, too, because it was nothing I did to bring it all to pass. God doesn't want to share His glory with the old man, with the flesh. While you're working, He's not. When you stop and believe, He will. God is not going to share His glory with the horse and rider; they have to die at the edge of the wilderness. Where we're going, saints, the works of the horse and rider won't save us. The Israelites lost faith in God walking by sight and they wanted to go back to Egypt. They wanted to go back to the salvation of the flesh pots, to trusting in the arm of the flesh, to trusting in man. That's not going to work for us anymore. It's not even going to work for the world, but it definitely won't work for us because God has called us to something higher. The truth is, this whole world is going to be polluted; this whole world is going to be poisoned. There are going to be both natural and weaponized diseases loosed on this world from God and man that are just beyond imagination, and yet we have a promise, right here at the beginning of the wilderness, that God won't put this upon us. “For I am the Lord that healeth thee.” He said He would put it upon the Egyptians and not upon us. The wicked will feel His wrath but we're supposed to walk by faith in this Good News; this Good News is the Gospel, and it's God's salvation to everyone who believes it. We've received revelations at UBM about the air and water being poisoned all throughout this land. Multitudes of people will die of manmade diseases, and we're already seeing it happen. A brother over on the East Coast was given a vision in which he saw biological weapons being smuggled into this country by terrorists who loosed them and killed 80 million people; he was a prophet, and he saw a vision of that happening. Truly saints, only faith in the Gospel is going to save you from the judgments that will be going across this land. The only thing that is going to save you is faith in the Gospel; no strength of man will do it. Nothing will keep us alive through this wilderness like lessons from Joshua and Caleb (Numbers 14:30, 26:65), who held fast to the confession of the Gospel of their time. Everything that can be shaken will be shaken, and everything that can be burned will burn. Something that's stuck with me for a long time is Dumitru Duduman's vision of seeing the earth catch on fire and God speaking to him, “Dumitru, quick! Get on the mountain or you will burn!” That mountain is Mount Zion. It's “the spirits of just men made perfect.” It's the only place that won't be shaken. Everything in this world will be shaken, but those who abide in God's Kingdom, through faith and through their confession, will be saved, and they will endure this wilderness. In fact, multitudes of them will endure until the end. They will live through everything that's coming upon this world because of their faith that Jesus has already borne this curse. God is going to deliver them. We need to get prepared and the way to do that is to put the “manna,” which is the Word of God, in our heart. That's the very next parable we see in Exodus. (Exo.16:4) Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or not. (31) And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. Jesus is the bread that came down from Heaven to give life to the world. (Joh.6:51) I am the living bread which came down out of heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: yea and the bread which I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world. But those Israelites said that they hated the manna and they called it “vile.” (Num.21:5) And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, and there is no water; and our soul loatheth this light (or “vile,” as the footnote says) bread. They didn't like the manna, they were tired of the manna, and many Christians today are just tired of the manna. They're tired of the Word. They'd rather go please themselves with the world, instead of preparing for the things that are coming upon the world, but life to God's people in the wilderness is the manna. Life to God's people in the wilderness is Jesus, Who was that manna and Who is the Word (John 1:14). God commanded those Israelites to partake of the manna for the whole time they were in the wilderness. (Exo.16:35) And the children of Israel did eat the manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat the manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan. The manna supernaturally preserved them all the way through the wilderness until they came to the Promised Land. So when they became tired of the manna, they cried out for flesh and what did God do about it? He said, “Alright, I'll give you flesh. I'll give you flesh until it comes out of your nose.” What does “flesh” represent? It represents living after the lusts of the flesh. (Num.11:18) And say thou unto the people, Sanctify yourselves against to-morrow, and ye shall eat flesh; for ye have wept in the ears of the Lord, saying, Who shall give us flesh to eat? for it was well with us in Egypt: therefore the Lord will give you flesh, and ye shall eat. (19) Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days, (20) but a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils, and it be loathsome unto you; because that ye have rejected the Lord who is among you.... That was the manna. They rejected the manna because they wanted to live after the flesh. God wanted to give them the Word, but they wanted the flesh and God brought judgment upon them. (33) While the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the anger of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague. (34) And the name of that place was called Kibroth-hattaavah (“the graves of lust”), because there they buried the people that lusted. It pleased them to live after the lusts of their flesh, instead of partaking of the Word, which was life (John 6:63), and God gave them over to the lusts of their flesh. Multitudes of so-called “Christians” are going to go berserk in the coming times because they are crying out for something besides the Word of God, which God provided for them to preserve them through this wilderness. And while they are calling out for it, just as He did with the Israelites who lusted, God's going to be giving it to them. The whole world is going to be demon-possessed in the coming wilderness, saints. The only people who are going to be preserved are those who have eaten the bread of life, Jesus Christ. Do you know what it is to “eat” something? You chew it, you swallow it, you digest it and it becomes who you are. Some people study the Word and they talk about the Word in Church, but they don't walk according to the Word. They don't live it out. In the days to come, the lusts of the flesh are going to kill people. The only thing that's going to preserve us is to digest the Word of God. (Exo.15:26) And he said, If thou wilt diligently hearken (meaning “to hear and obey”) to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his eyes, and wilt give ear to his commandments (meaning “keep these commandments”), and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon thee, which I have put upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee. Our God will give supernatural provision to His people to live through the wilderness, but remember what He told them in (Exo.16:4) ... I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or not. He was going to try them with a day's portion every day to prove them, to see whether they would keep His law or not.

In this sermon, Dion van Breda asks us to consider whether we're building our lives for the King, or focusing on our own comfort and satisfaction.Haggai 1: 1 - 11 (NIV)A Call to Build the House of the Lord1 In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest:2 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord's house.'”3 Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?”5 Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. 6 You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”7 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. 8 Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the Lord. 9 “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. 10 Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. 11 I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.”

In this interview we explore a crucial document of seventh-century Judaism: the Sefer Zerubbabel, an apocalyptic ‘future history' allegedly written in the past. The Temple will descend, the evil Armilus (son of Satan and a statue) will wreak havok, and two messiahs will arise to redeem Israel.

Midweek Motivation: Move in the Spirit of God. Zech 4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.I pray that you would be blessed. Be a Blessing to the Kingdom of God by sharing Amen. And if God leads you to sow it will be a blessing in the furthering of the word CashApp $ChristEmbassyA and feelFree to visit our website & social sites with only one click https://linkfly.to/PastorDrDarleneSmith#Thepowerofprayer;#PastorDSmith; #ProphetessofGod; #GodisGood;#DrLadyD;#MidweekMotivation;#LivingLifeThroughthewordofGod;#ChristEmbassy; #WordofGod

We continue our journey through the book of Numbers, and after the Hebrew returnees from Babylonia split into groups, the priests use the Ark of the Covenant to regain political power Join our tribe on Patreon! Check out these cool pages on the podcast's website:Home PageWho wrote the Bible: Timeline and authorsAncient maps: easy to follow maps to see which empire ruled what and whenClick here to see Exodus divided into "sources" according to the Documentary Hypothesis The podcast is written, edited and produced by Gil Kidron

1 Chronicles 3 records the sons of David and their genealogy through Solomon to Zerubbabel the Governor under the returned exiles from Babylon around 537 BC. Jeconiah was a descendant of king Solomon David's son. But that man was disinherited by the LORD, who said of Jeconiah verses "write this man childless ... no son of his will prosper, nor sit on David's throne verses Jeremiah 22 verses 24-30. The two branches of David's family came together in Zerubbabel by way of a Levirate marriage. Matthew 1 records Jesus' legal right to the throne through Joseph (the guardian of our Lord) as recorded there. Whereas Luke 3 records Mary's genealogy and therefore that our Lord Jesus Christ's actual ancestral line through Nathan David's son. In Ezekiel 16 we have a description of Israel Yahweh's faithless wife. Her descent is said, spiritually, to be from Amorite stock - the earliest of the Canaanitish nations (meaning "great of mouth") and the Amorites were of giant stature as Deuteronomy tells us. Israel's father is said to be a Hittite from the powerful kingdom of the Hathi originally in Turkey and among the mightiest empires of that time - rivalling Egypt. Yahweh Israel's Sovereign Lord had pity on His people and took her unto Himself as His wife in love. How did Israel repay her God's loving kindness; only by scorning Him and prostituting herself without payment. God would judge her as the profligate covenant breaker that she was. But her younger sister, Judah, behaved no better. The Almighty describes them as being of the same sisterhood as Sodom, whose abominable lewdness was legendary. Nonetheless the time would come when the repentant daughters would again be covenanted by the everlasting kindness of Yahweh in the Kingdom of His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. In Luke 12 the Lord counsels regarding the destructive teachings of the Pharisees. Our Lord Jesus says to his followers to have no fear when they are tried and killed by the religious authorities. This is because our Father has power over everything - including life and death. When giving testimony before rulers believers would be aided in their witness. In the parable in this chapter of the rich fool (based on the life of Nabal in 1 Samuel 25) our Lord refuses to arbitrate in a property dispute between two brothers. Instead, Jesus turns the opportunity into a discussion about the dangers of covetousness and the need to be rich in loving service to God at all times. Christ urges the disciples to be free from anxiety. Look at nature and the Almighty's abundantly providing out of His richness. Disciples need, as wise and faithful servants, to be in a state of continual readiness for their Lord's coming. A constant challenge for disciples is that often times family opposition will be the result of a person's acceptance of Christ. As disciples we must be alert to the era in which we live. Our Master is standing at the doorpost of our hearts and knocking Revelation 3 verses 20-21. Finally, if believers find themselves in a dispute, they need to quickly reach agreement with their adversaries, or the results may be much worse. Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow

1 Chronicles 3 records the sons of David and their genealogy through Solomon to Zerubbabel the Governor under the returned exiles from Babylon around 537 BC. Jeconiah was a descendant of king Solomon David's son. But that man was disinherited by the LORD, who said of Jeconiah verses  "write this man childless ... no son of his will prosper, nor sit on David's throne verses  Jeremiah 22 verses 24-30. The two branches of David's family came together in Zerubbabel by way of a Levirate marriage. Matthew 1 records Jesus' legal right to the throne through Joseph (the guardian of our Lord) as recorded there. Whereas Luke 3 records Mary's genealogy and therefore that our Lord Jesus Christ's actual ancestral line through Nathan David's son. In Ezekiel 16 we have a description of Israel Yahweh's faithless wife. Her descent is said, spiritually, to be from Amorite stock - the earliest of the Canaanitish nations (meaning "great of mouth") and the Amorites were of giant stature as Deuteronomy tells us. Israel's father is said to be a Hittite from the powerful kingdom of the Hathi originally in Turkey and among the mightiest empires of that time - rivalling Egypt. Yahweh Israel's Sovereign Lord had pity on His people and took her unto Himself as His wife in love. How did Israel repay her God's loving kindness; only by scorning Him and prostituting herself without payment. God would judge her as the profligate covenant breaker that she was. But her younger sister, Judah, behaved no better. The Almighty describes them as being of the same sisterhood as Sodom, whose abominable lewdness was legendary. Nonetheless the time would come when the repentant daughters would again be covenanted by the everlasting kindness of Yahweh in the Kingdom of His Son the Lord Jesus Christ. In Luke 12 the Lord counsels regarding the destructive teachings of the Pharisees. Our Lord Jesus says to his followers to have no fear when they are tried and killed by the religious authorities. This is because our Father has power over everything - including life and death. When giving testimony before rulers believers would be aided in their witness. In the parable in this chapter of the rich fool (based on the life of Nabal in 1 Samuel 25) our Lord refuses to arbitrate in a property dispute between two brothers. Instead, Jesus turns the opportunity into a discussion about the dangers of covetousness and the need to be rich in loving service to God at all times. Christ urges the disciples to be free from anxiety. Look at nature and the Almighty's abundantly providing out of His richness. Disciples need, as wise and faithful servants, to be in a state of continual readiness for their Lord's coming. A constant challenge for disciples is that often times family opposition will be the result of a person's acceptance of Christ. As disciples we must be alert to the era in which we live. Our Master is standing at the doorpost of our hearts and knocking Revelation 3 verses 20-21. Finally, if believers find themselves in a dispute, they need to quickly reach agreement with their adversaries, or the results may be much worse.  Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow

"Why does Haggai date his prophecies so precisely—with references to the reign of Darius and specific days? And in Haggai 2, God says the future glory of the temple will be greater than the former. How would Zerubbabel's audience have understood that promise? In today's episode, Emma Dotter is joined by faithful Watermark Member Karis Smith to talk all things Haggai. You can also check out the Join The Journey Jr. Podcast: Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/join-the-journey-junior/id1660089898 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6SG7aaE1ZjjFkgB34G8zp3?si=c960a63736904665 Check out the Join The Journey Website for today's devotional and more resources! https://www.jointhejourney.com/ Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Watermark-Community-Church/author/B0BRYP5MQK?"

Join Fr. Danielle Kim, M.M. in today's Gospel reflection on the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, 9/8/25. Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23 After the Babylonian exile,Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel,Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,Zerubbabel the father of Abiud.Abiud became the father of Eliakim,Eliakim the father of Azor,Azor the father of Zadok.Zadok became the father of Achim,Achim the father of Eliud,Eliud the father of Eleazar.Eleazar became the father of Matthan,Matthan the father of Jacob,Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.Listen to past Gospel Reflections or check out more podcasts from the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers ➡️ https://ow.ly/CIRj50Ta1kw #CatholicFaith #Gospel

+ Holy Gospel according to St. Matthew 1: 1 – 16. 18 – 23The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse, Jesse the father of David the king. David became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asaph. Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah. Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amos, Amos the father of Josiah. Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the Babylonian exile. After the Babylonian exile, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Messiah.Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means "God is with us."The Gospel of the Lord

The stories about the challenges of the returnees from Egypt are about the real challenges of the returnees from Babylonia. Our Numbers chapters for today are 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, and 20. Join our tribe on Patreon! Check out these cool pages on the podcast's website:Home PageWho wrote the Bible: Timeline and authorsAncient maps: easy to follow maps to see which empire ruled what and whenClick here to see Exodus divided into "sources" according to the Documentary Hypothesis The podcast is written, edited and produced by Gil Kidron

Mt 1:1-16, 18-23The Book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,the son of David, the son of Abraham.Abraham became the father of Isaac,Isaac the father of Jacob,Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah,whose mother was Tamar.Perez became the father of Hezron,Hezron the father of Ram,Ram the father of Amminadab.Amminadab became the father of Nahshon,Nahshon the father of Salmon,Salmon the father of Boaz,whose mother was Rahab.Boaz became the father of Obed,whose mother was Ruth.Obed became the father of Jesse,Jesse the father of David the king.David became the father of Solomon,whose mother had been the wife of Uriah.Solomon became the father of Rehoboam,Rehoboam the father of Abijah,Abijah the father of Asaph.Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat,Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,Joram the father of Uzziah.Uzziah became the father of Jotham,Jotham the father of Ahaz,Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh,Manasseh the father of Amos,Amos the father of Josiah.Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothersat the time of the Babylonian exile.After the Babylonian exile,Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel,Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,Zerubbabel the father of Abiud.Abiud became the father of Eliakim,Eliakim the father of Azor,Azor the father of Zadok.Zadok became the father of Achim,Achim the father of Eliud,Eliud the father of Eleazar.Eleazar became the father of Matthan,Matthan the father of Jacob,Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,but before they lived together,she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,yet unwilling to expose her to shame,decided to divorce her quietly.Such was his intention when, behold,the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,"Joseph, son of David,do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.For it is through the Holy Spiritthat this child has been conceived in her.She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,because he will save his people from their sins."All this took place to fulfillwhat the Lord had said through the prophet:Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,and they shall name him Emmanuel,which means "God is with us."

God is unveiling prophetic blueprints for this season, and they carry keys to the awakening and reformation ahead. Through the stories of Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah, we uncover hidden patterns that point to the church's true mandate—not just to spark revival, but to reform culture and rebuild the gates of influence. The shaking of nations isn't the end—it's the setup for the house God desires to build, a house strong enough to shape America's future and beyond. Today's Sponsor mypillow.com/lance use promo code Lance at checkout to get your discount!

Ginnie Hislop received a standing ovation as she was handed her master’s degree diploma in 2024. Why? It came eighty-four years after she’d completed her coursework! In 1941, she needed only to submit her thesis. But her then boyfriend, George, was suddenly called to serve during World War II. The two quickly married and headed to his army outpost—leaving Ginnie’s nearly realized degree behind. But after a lengthy pause, she was finally able to complete what she’d started. Ezra was a student of Scripture—one who truly had an “advanced degree” in God’s law—who’d been waiting years to return to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon. “Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees” (Ezra 7:10). Zerubbabel and a group of Israelite exiles had been permitted to return from Babylon to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem decades earlier (2:1-2). And now Ezra, who had “the gracious hand of his God . . . on him” (7:9), was leading more exiles to Jerusalem. God would use him to reform and restore the proper worship of Him according to Scripture: “Ezra opened the book [of the Law]. All the people . . . bowed down and worshiped the Lord” (Nehemiah 8:5-6). Ezra had to wait decades, but he completed his calling in God’s strength. In His power, let’s persist in finishing the work He has for us.

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Haggai 2New King James VersionThe Coming Glory of God's House2 In the seventh month, on the twenty-first of the month, the word of the Lord came [a]by Haggai the prophet, saying: 2 “Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, saying: 3 ‘Who is left among you who saw this [b]temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? In comparison with it, is this not in your eyes as nothing? 4 Yet now be strong, Zerubbabel,' says the Lord; ‘and be strong, Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; and be strong, all you people of the land,' says the Lord, ‘and work; for I am with you,' says the Lord of hosts. 5 ‘According to the word that I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt, so My Spirit remains among you; do not fear!'6 “For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; 7 and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the [c]Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this [d]temple with glory,' says the Lord of hosts. 8 ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,' says the Lord of hosts. 9 ‘The glory of this latter [e]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 People Are Defiled10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 11 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Now, ask the priests concerning the law, saying, 12 “If one carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with the edge he touches bread or stew, wine or oil, or any food, will it become holy?” ' ”Then the priests answered and said, “No.”13 And Haggai said, “If one who is unclean because of a dead body touches any of these, will it be unclean?”So the priests answered and said, “It shall be unclean.”14 Then Haggai answered and said, “ ‘So is this people, and so is this nation before Me,' says the Lord, ‘and so is every work of their hands; and what they offer there is unclean.Promised Blessing15 ‘And now, carefully consider from this day forward: from before stone was laid upon stone in the temple of the Lord— 16 since those days, when one came to a heap of twenty ephahs, there were but ten; when one came to the wine vat to draw out fifty baths from the press, there were but twenty. 17 I struck you with blight and mildew and hail in all the labors of your hands; yet you did not turn to Me,' says the Lord. 18 ‘Consider now from this day forward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, from the day that the foundation of the Lord's temple was laid—consider it: 19 Is the seed still in the barn? As yet the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have not yielded fruit. But from this day I will bless you.' ”Zerubbabel Chosen as a Signet20 And again the word of the Lord came to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, saying, 21 “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying:‘I will shake heaven and earth.22 I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms;I will destroy the strength of the Gentile kingdoms.I will overthrow the chariotsAnd those who ride in them;The horses and their riders shall come down,Every one by the sword of his brother.23 ‘In that day,' says the Lord of hosts, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel My servant, the son of Shealtiel,' says the Lord, ‘and will make you like a signet ring; for I have chosen you,' says the Lord of hosts.”

Haggai 1New King James VersionThe Command to Build God's House1 In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying, 2 “Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, saying: ‘This people says, “The time has not come, the time that the Lord's house should be built.” ' ”3 Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4 “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this [a]temple to lie in ruins?” 5 Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways!6 “You have sown much, and bring in little;You eat, but do not have enough;You drink, but you are not filled with drink;You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm;And he who earns wages,Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.”7 Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways! 8 Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the [b]temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified,” says the Lord. 9 “You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?” says the Lord of hosts. “Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house. 10 Therefore the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit. 11 For I called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain and the new wine and the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.”12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him; and the people feared the presence of the Lord. 13 Then Haggai, the Lord's messenger, spoke the Lord's message to the people, saying, “I am with you, says the Lord.” 14 So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month, in the second year of King Darius.

Most believers don't realize this, but God is actively shaking the nations—and He's using the marketplace, not just the pulpit, to do it. There's a prophetic mantle coming on end-time believers who are called like Zerubbabel, carrying a kingly anointing to rebuild, reform, and rule in the midst of chaos. If you've ever wondered how to walk in that authority and discern the divine separation happening around the globe, this word will wake you up and send you into your assignment with fire.

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In this Bible Story, God’s people are freed from the empire of Babylon and Persia to return home. The exiles journey back to the home of their forefathers. There they rebuilt the temple, and attempted to rebuild their broken hearts. This story is inspired by Ezra 1-6 & Haggai 1-2. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is Ezra 3:7 from the King James Version.Episode 168: Cyrus King of Persia, had conquered all that was once Babylon. Because of this, he had learned from King Darius the stories of Daniel’s God and his heart grew toward the exiles from Judah. So, in fulfillment of God’s Word through Jeremiah, he issued a decree that the exiles could return to Judah if they would like. It took over two years to wipe the dust and rubble from the ruined city. However, while Zerubbabel, one of the exiles returning from Babylon, was rebuilding the temple, he sent away his fellow Israelites. Creating enemies instead of unity. All of this showed that it was not just the city that needed to be rebuilt, but the hearts of the people as well.Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world’s greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Zechariah     This week we've reached the book of Zechariah. After spending a couple of weeks in the very short books of Obadiah and Haggai, I found Zechariah to be quite a contrast. It's a much longer book with 14 chapters, and the style of prophetic writing is quite different too. There is so much that we could choose to look at in this complex, beautiful book, but it would be beyond the scope of this podcast to look in detail at all the prophesies that Zechariah received. Instead I'll start with a brief historical background and an overview of some of the main themes of the book, and then I'll focus on some of the prophecies that were fulfilled most clearly in the life of Jesus. We'll end with some thoughts to take away for our own lives. Zechariah came from a priestly family. We are given the names of his father and grandfather, Berechiah and Iddo. His grandfather's name appears in Nehemiah 12:4 where he is listed as one of the Levites who returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel in about 538 BC, according to the edict of King Cyrus of Persia. Zechariah's prophecy starts 2 months after Haggai's. The book is made up of a collection of nine visions followed by other prophetic oracles. These take the form of individual units, which don't follow a clear narrative pattern. The style of the prophecy is futuristic, and sometimes quite obscure to the modern reader. Many of the prophecies bear similarities to those found in the book of Revelation, at the end of the New Testament, and they need to be approached in a similar way, with careful appreciation of the symbolism involved. As we learned last week, some of the exiled people of Judah had returned to Jerusalem after King Cyrus permitted them to do so. They had started to rebuild the temple and the walls but they had become discouraged by opposition. They were also facing difficulties in their everyday lives, including high taxes under the Persian rule. Worship of God and obedience to his law were quite low down on their list of priorities. The book of Zechariah opens with a call from God to the people to repent and return to him: 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. (Zechariah 1:3) ~ The people do repent and turn back to God, so God keeps his promise. There then follows a series of visions that Zechariah receives during the night. The visions contain God's promises of restoration for his people, forgiveness, removal of sin and idolatry from the land, and the blessing and expansion of Jerusalem.  God calls his people back to sincere and genuine faith. He wants them to be just, merciful, mindful of the vulnerable and honest in their dealings with each other (Zech 7:8-10). The book of Zechariah does contain some messages of judgement for the enemies of God's people, and for those who do not respond to God's call to return to him, but the majority of the book is made up of promises of hope and restoration. God promises to turn the former times of fasting into times of feasting for his people (Zech 7:18-19). In the second half of the book, we find prophecy relating to the coming King of Zion. He is portrayed as a divine warrior (Zech 9:1-8) and also called The Branch. In chapter 11, God promises to replace the evil shepherds of his people, the corrupt leaders, with a good shepherd. These are all prophecies about the coming Messiah.   ~ There are up to 54 passages in Zechariah that are alluded to in 67 places in the New Testament, mostly in the book of Revelation. In addition, there are a few specific prophecies in Zechariah, which find their fulfilment very clearly in the life of Jesus. The gospel writers quote these verses from Zechariah in their accounts. We'll look at these verses now. ~ Firstly, Zechariah 9:9: Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah 9:9) ~ Matthew and John both refer to this verse in their gospel accounts of Jesus entering Jerusalem riding on a donkey (Matt 21:5, John 12:15). They understood that Jesus was deliberately fulfilling prophecy, making a clear statement about his identity as the promised Messiah. ~ In Zechariah 11:13 we read a slightly odd statement about the good shepherd being valued at 30 pieces of silver, and these pieces subsequently being thrown back into the house of the Lord, to the potter. In Matthew 27:9 we see that Matthew draws on the words of Zechariah and Jeremiah and applies these to the actions and fate of Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. When Judas saw what was going to happen to Jesus, he tried to give the blood money back to the priests, who refused to take it back. Overcome with remorse and guilt, he threw the 30 pieces of silver back into the temple and went and hanged himself. The priests and elders bought a field known as the Potters Field with the money and it was used as a burial place for foreigners. ~ In Zechariah 12:10 we read: “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. (Zechariah 12:10) ~ John takes this verse and applies it to Jesus' crucifixion. In John 19:31-37 we read about the soldier who pierced Jesus' side to verify that he was dead after his crucifixion. John then quotes Zechariah, “they will look on him whom they have pierced” and sees the action of the solider as a fulfilment of this prophecy. There are other Old Testament passages which speak prophetically about the manner of the Messiah's death, notably sections in Isaiah 53 and in Psalm 22. The details are quite striking, particularly bearing in mind that crucifixion did not come into use as a means of execution until several hundred years after Psalm 22 was written. ~ Finally we see Zechariah 13:7 quoted by Matthew (26:31) and Mark (14:27) in their descriptions of Jesus's disciples deserting him and fleeing from the garden of Gethsemane. ~ “Strike the shepherd and the sheep will be scattered”. (Zechariah 13:7) ~ The verse in Zechariah is describing the good shepherd and how he will be struck down. Matthew and Mark both see the scattering of the disciples in the scattering of the sheep. ~ The book of Zechariah ends on a note of victory and triumph with God reigning over the whole earth and Jerusalem finally dwelling in peace. There are two short verses from the early parts of the book that I want to consider. The first is Zechariah 4:10. In this section, God is encouraging Zechariah that he will empower Zerubbabel and his fellow workers to complete the rebuilding of the temple. God says: For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice, and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. (Zechariah 4:10a ESV) ~ Sometimes it can feel as if we live in a day of small things. The ordinary routines and rhythms of our everyday lives can seem quite insignificant. There is a temptation to always be looking ahead to what the next big thing will be or feeling despondent about an apparent lack of excitement or significance in what we do. Sometimes we have our mountain top experiences and spiritual highs in special events or significant achievements, but the reality is that life is lived in the in-between times. In the days of small things. ~ God knows all the days of our lives and each day and moment can be used for his glory. But not if we're despising the time. Our awesome Creator and Sustainer is the source of our every breath and his gift of life to us is not to be taken lightly. In the times that are difficult, painful or seemingly futile, we can cling on to Jesus' promise to us that our Father God cares about us more than we can imagine. He even knows the number of hairs on our heads (Matt 10:30). ~ The second verse is Zechariah 3:6. God gives Zechariah a message to encourage Zerubbabel. He wants him to know that the rebuilding of the temple will be accomplished and he says: “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.” (Zech 3:6) ~ There are times when we will face seemingly insurmountable obstacles or daunting mountains of opposition. The Holy Spirit can empower us in ways we could not imagine and those mountains can become plains in front of us. We need to be prepared for God to work in ways we do not expect but if we have faith in his promises to us, the unlimited power of the Holy Spirit is available to help us and that is far better than any human power or might. ~ I'll close with Paul's words to the Ephesians: Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21) ~ Right Mouse click or tap to save this as an audio mp3 file

Haggai Hello, welcome back to our minor prophets series. This week we are looking at the book of Haggai. This is another short book, consisting of just 2 chapters. As with several of the other minor prophets, we don't know much about Haggai himself. We can be quite sure about the dating of the book though, because Haggai included precise dates for the oracles he received from God. These details place the book in the year 520 BC, and between the months of August and December. Haggai was a contemporary of the prophet Zechariah. In 539 BC Cyrus the Great of Persia conquered and overthrew Babylon. One of the first things Cyrus did was make an edict that allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem in order to rebuild the temple. This action was predicted by the prophet Isaiah and recounted in the first two chapters of the book of Ezra About 50 000 Jews, including Ezra, returned to Jerusalem in 536 BC and they began to rebuild the city. Ezra encountered significant opposition to his work and the building work stalled. Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem 13 years later to spearhead another major push to rebuild the walls. His building team managed to complete the building of the walls but they also faced hostile opposition and the population of Jerusalem was still relatively small and vulnerable. The people had a dramatic experience of repentance and revival under Nehemiah's leadership but after he'd left them to go back to his job in Babylon the people quickly slipped into sinful ways. By the time we reach the prophecy of Haggai, 16 years have passed since the origin return of the first exiles to Jerusalem. King Darius is ruling the kingdom of Persia, which now includes the territory of Judah. The people of Jerusalem have settled back into their city and they have built houses for themselves. But there is a problem. They have left the temple in a state of decay and ruin.  God sends his word via Haggai to Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, and to Joshua, the high priest:  “Thus says the LORD of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the LORD.” (Haggai 1:2) The people have busied themselves in the building of their own houses but they have procrastinated about rebuilding God's house, the symbol of God's presence amongst them. God explains to the people that because of their indifference and neglect of his house, he has frustrated their efforts to be fruitful and productive in their farming and manufacturing. They have been working hard to produce clothes and food but yet they cannot seem to get warm or satisfied. God cannot stand by and allow his house to be neglected in this way whilst the people simply pursue their own interests. Once the people hear this and realise the source of their failure, they obey God and commence the work on the temple. They have physical work to do and also emotional work to do, turning their hearts back towards God. The people respond with respect and fear of God and God reassures them: Then Haggai, the messenger of the LORD, spoke to the people with the LORD's message, “I am with you, declares the LORD.” (Haggai 1:13) Some of the people of Jerusalem would have been old enough to recall Solomon's temple in the days before the fall of Jerusalem and the exile to Babylon. Once the building work got underway it became obvious to them that the rebuilt temple would be nothing like the old temple; it would be much plainer and far less glorious. So God sends word to Haggai again to encourage the people. ‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes? Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the LORD. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the LORD. Work, for I am with you, declares the LORD of hosts, according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not. (Haggai 2:3-5) God speaks with great comfort and love to his people and assures them that he is not going to leave them and they have no need to be afraid. God promises that he will fill the temple with the treasures of the nations and, more than that, he will fill it with his very presence, making it more glorious than the first temple. God's next word is to the priests, three months after the rebuilding began. He reminds them that something that is ceremonially clean cannot make an unclean thing holy by touching it, but something unclean is capable of defiling something holy. In the same way, the ruin of the temple has rendered all of the offerings of the people unholy and inadequate. Although God has punished his people by limiting the fruitfulness of their produce, he promises to bless them again, once the temple is rebuilt. The final part of the book is addressed to Zerubbabel the governor. On that day, declares the LORD of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, declares the LORD, and make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the LORD of hosts.” (Haggai 2:23) Zerubbabel was a descendent of king David. In this section God is confirming his promise to bless his people, and eventually the whole world, through the house of David. A signet ring was a used to make a mark in wax or other soft material as an official seal and sign of royal approval and authority. God sets Zerubbabel over his people as his chosen instrument. And, lo and behold, if we look ahead into Matt 1:12-13, we find Zerubbabel's name in the genealogy of Jesus. So what can the prophet Haggai teach us today? Firstly, although the focus of the prophecy is on the rebuilding of the temple, the message is not primarily about a building, it's about a relationship. God was concerned with the neglect of the temple because it was a sign of the people's neglect of their relationship with God. God is not pursuing and saving and loving bricks – he's interested in people. Sometimes we are called to embark on literal building projects for the sake of God's kingdom. There is often hard physical work to be done and practical things to be arranged, but the point of it is to bring people into a relationship with God. It's all for his glory and his name. Sometimes our labours are less about bricks and mortar and more about learning and teaching or writing and blogging. Sometimes they are about planning or hosting events or arranging meetings and conferences. These things can be very important in building up the body of Christ, but they are not to exist simply for their own benefit. It is not primarily about the well-written lesson or sermon or book or blog. Neither is it just about the successful event, the well-attended talk or the popular conference. It's about a relationship with the creator of the universe. No matter how hard we slave away under the guise of working for God, if we've neglected our relationship with him, the works will be useless. God wants our hearts and our minds first of all. He wants our love. We cannot prove our love in our works, we need to experience it as a reality in our relationship with God, and from this our works will follow. Paul says it like this in 1 Corinthians 13: If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.(1 Corinthians 13:1-3) Secondly, God wants our work for him to take a place of highest priority in our lives. When Jesus teaches his disciples about worry, he tells them to stop being so concerned with what they are going to eat or drink or wear. He then says: But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33) Jesus says that God knows what we require and he understands our physical needs, but if we will only make his kingdom work our first priority, he will see to our other needs as well. Haggai reminds us that all things come from God in the first place, so it really is quite foolish to hang onto our stuff so tightly, when it all came from God's generous hand in the first place.  Finally, Haggai reminds us that a more glorious temple is coming, and in fact has already come. Haggai spoke God's prophecy about a temple that would be filled with God's glory, more glorious than the first temple. When Jesus died on the cross the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The way to God was opened and there was no longer a need for God's people to meet him within the confines of the physical temple, through the mediation of a priest. The old temple became obsolete and the new temple is now made up of living stones, the individual believers in Christ. Peter describes it like this: You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:5) In the book of Haggai, God promises to the people of Judah that he is in their midst. In the book of Revelation we see the ultimate realisation of this promise. In chapter 21 of Revelation the apostle John writes about his vision: I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendour into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honour of the nations will be brought into it. (Rev 21:22-26) Next week we're going to be looking at some selected highlights from the longer book of Zechariah. It's one of the Old Testament prophetic books that is quoted numerous times in the New Testament and there is some incredible prophecy that we see fulfilled in the life of Jesus. Join me again next week to find out more! Right Mouse click or tap here to save this as an audio mp3 file

Steven Hohenstreet Preaches out of Haggai 2, and the word of the Lord coming straight to Zerubbabel. And the theme of this short book of the Bible is getting back to work on God's house, and don't worry about the future, but simply serve God with what you know to do, and trust Him for the rest.

Zerubbabel, one born in Babylon, was an unlikely person to return to Jerusalem to rebuild; yet he did.  He was chosen by God not only to rebuild but also to preserve the bloodline to Christ.  No matter what circumstance you are born into, if God calls you, you are part of His plan. VF-1998 Haggai 2:20-23 Watch, Listen and Learn 24x7 at PastorMelissaScott.com Pastor Melissa Scott teaches from Faith Center in Glendale. Call 1-800-338-3030 24x7 to leave a message for Pastor Scott. You may make reservations to attend a live service, leave a prayer request or make a commitment. Pastor Scott appreciates messages and reads them often during live broadcasts. Follow @Pastor_Scott on Twitter and visit her official Facebook page @Pastor.M.Scott. Download Pastor Scott's "Understand the Bible" app for iPhone, iPad and iPod at the Apple App Store and for Android devices in the Google Store. Pastor Scott can also be seen 24x7 on Roku and Amazon Fire on the "Understand the Bible?" channel. ©2025 Pastor Melissa Scott, Ph.D., All Rights Reserved

Haggai 2:1-23 In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet: 2 “Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to all the remnant of the people, and say, 3 ‘Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes? 4 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the Lord. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord. Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts, 5 according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not. 6 For thus says the Lord of hosts: Yet once more, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. 7And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts. 9 The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.'” 10 On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, 11 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Ask the priests about the law: 12 ‘If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with his fold bread or stew or wine or oil or any kind of food, does it become holy?'” The priests answered and said, “No.” 13 Then Haggai said, “If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?” The priests answered and said, “It does become unclean.” 14Then Haggai answered and said, “So is it with this people, and with this nation before me, declares the Lord, and so with every work of their hands. And what they offer there is unclean. 15 Now then, consider from this day onward. Before stone was placed upon stone in the temple of the Lord, 16 how did you fare? When one came to a heap of twenty measures, there were but ten. When one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were but twenty. 17 I struck you and all the products of your toil with blight and with mildew and with hail, yet you did not turn to me, declares the Lord. 18Consider from this day onward, from the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month. Since the day that the foun- dation of the Lord's temple was laid, consider: 19 Is the seed yet in the barn? Indeed, the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, and the olive tree have yielded nothing. But from this day on I will bless you.” 13 20 The word of the Lord came a second time to Haggai on the twenty-fourth day of the month, 21 “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying, I am about to shake the heavens and the earth, 22 and to overthrow the throne of kingdoms. I am about to destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations, and overthrow the chariots and their riders. And the horses and their riders shall go down, every one by the sword of his brother. 23 On that day, declares the Lord of hosts, I will take you, O Zerubbabel my servant, the son of Shealtiel, declares the Lord, and make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you, declares the Lord of hosts.”

In this episode, we see that God's Spirit is empowering Zerubbabel to build the temple, and we are called to begin at the things God has called us to do and to not despise small beginnings!

2025 July 13 | This week, Stephen Wood from Liberti Riverwards continues our Exiles sermon series in Haggai 1:1-11. A Call to Build the House of the Lord 1 In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jozadak,[a] the high priest: 2 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord's house.'” 3 Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” 5 Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. 6 You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.” 7 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. 8 Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the Lord. 9 “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. 10 Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. 11 I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.”

Haggai 1:1-15 In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest: 2 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.” 3 Then the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? 5 Now, therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. 6 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. 7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways. 8 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. 9 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. 10 Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. 11 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.” 12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord. 13 Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke to the people with the Lord's message, “I am with you, declares the Lord.” 14 And the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people. And they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month, in the second year of Darius the king.

Introduction: The Book of Haggai is a book about God, about worship, about holiness. These themes take us back to the days of altars of Noah; of Abram (Abraham); of Isaac; of Jacob; and the Tabernacle of Moses (Play Video of Tabernacle). Haggai is the 37th book in the Old Testament .  Haggai is a Post-Exilic book meaning the timeframe happens after the Babylonian Captivity. God directed the Assyrians, Babylonians, & the Persians to accomplish His will!I. Let's set a timeline:1. Solomon's Temple built around 957 BC (United Monarchy)2. The Northern Kingdom (Israel) is defeated by Assyria in 722 BC3. The Southern Kingdom (Judah) is defeated by Babylon and the Temple was destroyed around 587-586 BC. The Book of Lamentations was written by Jeremiah based on what God did and what he saw (Lamentations 3:22-23)4. Zerubbabel's Temple (Book of Haggai) started in 536 BC and stopped with the foundation. 5. Restart on Zerubbabel's Temple started back in 520 BC. Finished in four months. Some were alive to see Solomon's Temple.READ HAGGAI 1 & 2 II. Some critical statement made in these 2 chapters:1. “Consider your ways” – 1:5 & 72. “That I may take pleasure” – 1:83. “Obeyed the voice of the Lord” – 1:124. “I am with you” – 1:13 & 2:45. “Be strong” – 2:4 (3 times)6. “The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former” – 2:97. “Make you like a signet ring, for I have chosen you” – 2:23 III. The Book of Haggai is connected to the Book of Ezra1. Read II Chronicles 36:22-23 2. Read Ezra 3:8-133. Read Ezra 4:1-5 (“adversaries” lied; “discouraged”; “made them afraid”; “bribed”). Fear of man paralyzes us. Fear of God frees us.4. Cyrus & Darius blessed the returning remnant (and paid for the rebuilding project!)5. Read Ezra 5:1-2 (Back on track)  IV. Haggai 1 – WHAT TIME IS IT?1. Haggai 1:3 - 2. Haggai 1:8 – 3. Haggai 1:12 4. Haggai 1:13 – 5. Haggai 1:14 –CHAPTER 2 NEXT WEEK 

Haggai promised Zerubbabel that God would endorse his leadership against all future enemies. The Lord declared He would shake the heavens and overthrow opposing kingdoms and install Zerubbabel like a signet ring. The unredeemed world will always resist God. As God shook the heavens in defense of Zerubbabel, He will do once more in a day yet to come. When Jesus comes as Judge of the world, every mountain and island will be moved out of their place. One day, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. All will do this unto Him as their Savior or as their Judge. Which will it be for you?HAGGAI 2:20-23PSALM 2:1-3PSALM 2:4-6HAGGAI 2:21HAGGAI 2:6HEBREWS 12:25-29REVELATION 6:12-17HAGGAI 2:23PSALM 2:10-12

Haggai promised Zerubbabel that God would endorse his leadership against all future enemies. The Lord declared He would shake the heavens and overthrow opposing kingdoms and install Zerubbabel like a signet ring. The unredeemed world will always resist God. As God shook the heavens in defense of Zerubbabel, He will do once more in a day yet to come. When Jesus comes as Judge of the world, every mountain and island will be moved out of their place. One day, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. All will do this unto Him as their Savior or as their Judge. Which will it be for you?HAGGAI 2:20-23PSALM 2:1-3PSALM 2:4-6HAGGAI 2:21HAGGAI 2:6HEBREWS 12:25-29REVELATION 6:12-17HAGGAI 2:23PSALM 2:10-12

Caleb Froedge discusses Zechariah 4:10—“For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the LORD, which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.”

Episode 2.17In this episode, we witness a fresh movement in Israel's return from exile—led not by a builder like Zerubbabel, but by a teacher and priest named Ezra. Sent by King Artaxerxes, Ezra returns to Jerusalem decades after the temple's completion, carrying royal authority and a heart devoted to God's Word. His mission? To study, obey, and teach the Law of the Lord.We explore Ezra's arrival, his reliance on God's hand of protection, and his grief when he discovers Israel's spiritual compromise. The story turns from joyful return to heartbreaking repentance, as the people confess their sin of intermarriage with pagan nations. Through Ezra's brokenness and bold leadership, we're reminded that true revival begins with God's Word and leads to real repentance. This is not just a history lesson—it's a call to examine where we have set our hearts.Find our videocast here: https://youtu.be/FfyaQL2JKXAMerch here: https://take-2-podcast.printify.me/Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/reakt-music/deep-stone⁠License code: 2QZOZ2YHZ5UTE7C8Find more Take 2 Theology content at http://www.take2theology.com

Episode 2.15In this episode, we trace the first major movement of Ezra (chapters 1–6), where the Persian king Cyrus fulfills biblical prophecy by sending Jewish exiles back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. Though often overlooked, the main characters here aren't Ezra, but Zerubbabel, a descendant of David, and Jeshua, the high priest's grandson. Together they lead over 40,000 people on a journey home. The altar is rebuilt and worship resumes, but when the temple foundation is laid, reactions are mixed—some celebrate, others weep over its lesser glory. Opposition arises from the surrounding peoples, halting construction for 16 years. This delay isn't a failure of God's plan, but part of His sovereign design.Prophets Haggai and Zechariah reignite the work, calling the people to prioritize worship and trust God. Darius, the current king, confirms the original decree and even funds the temple's completion. The temple is finally finished, dedicated, and celebrated with Passover. This movement sets the tone for the book's recurring message: human leadership can't bring lasting revival, but God is always at work. Even when results are mixed or delayed, He weaves adversity into His redemptive plan. The call for us is to remain faithful, to keep building, and to trust the God who stirs hearts and moves history.Find our videocast here: https://youtu.be/3jfpNjdwr4wMerch here: https://take-2-podcast.printify.me/Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/reakt-music/deep-stone⁠License code: 2QZOZ2YHZ5UTE7C8Find more Take 2 Theology content at http://www.take2theology.com

The Fire, the SacrifThe Fire, the Sacrifice, and the Wood By Pastor Zerubbabel B. Mengistu June 22 2025 by Beza International Ministries

Welcome to "Messenger to Messiah," our exploration of the timeless message of Malachi on the Gospel Spice podcast. In this first lesson of our six-part series, Stephanie Rousselle, our teacher, walks us through the timely relevance of the Book of Malachi for our contemporary generation. Our series aims to dive into the intricacies of Malachi's message, with an emphasis on its pertinence to today's societal landscape. Stephanie approaches this study with humility and the hope that it serves you meaningfully! You are invited to purchase the workbook that contains everything you need to take your experience of the Book of Malachi deeper! For each of the six lessons, you will find a complete listening guide, questions to go deeper (on your own, with a friend, or a group), as well as a worksheet to study further themes. Go to https://www.gospelspice.com/malachi for more. And BONUS! We're giving you all the workbook content for THIS EPISODE, the first in the series, completely for FREE! Go to  https://www.gospelspice.com/malachi to download it as our gift to you. The Book of Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, addresses the pressing question, "Lord, how have you loved us?" This question, emerging from a context of hardship and perceived abandonment, resonates with the existential uncertainties we often face. This inquiry transcends time, mirroring our own struggles to see God's love during difficult times. Malachi's name, meaning "my messenger," underscores the significant role of his prophecy. The etymology of the name is echoed in Malachi's life, calling and message. Its implications draw parallels between earthly and angelic messengers throughout the Old Testament. We are also offered a detailed historical backdrop, mapping the trajectory from Moses through the judges, kings, and the era of Babylonian exile, leading to the restoration under leaders like Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah. This historical perspective enriches our understanding of Malachi's audience—people who had endured a tumultuous past yet stood at the cusp of spiritual revival. Malachi interprets the juxtaposition of God's love for Jacob and rejection of Esau. The discourse around love ('ahav' in Hebrew) emphasizes God's unwavering choices and the perceived enmity of Esau's lineage, the Edomites, against Israel. In looking forward, Malachi's prophecy foreshadows the role of messengers like John the Baptist, preparing the way for Jesus, who is the ultimate Messenger. This anticipation reflects our own call to serve as messengers in the world today, spreading God's love and laying the groundwork for spiritual awakening in the Name of Jesus, our Christ and King. Stephanie concludes by encouraging us to recognize God's love in both blessings and adversities. She challenges us to list God's blessings, seeing His hand in every circumstance, much like Paul's thorn that became an opportunity for divine glorification. This series is an invitation to embrace the words of Malachi not merely as historical accounts, but as vibrant truths applicable in our lives. Malachi urges us to become aware of our roles as God's messengers today. You are invited to journey with us through this series and to seek to understand how God's love permeates every aspect of our existence. We invite you to check out the first episode of each of our series, and decide which one you will want to start with. Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog Identity in the battle | Ephesians https://www.podcastics.com/episode/74762/link/ Centering on Christ | The Tabernacle experience https://www.podcastics.com/episode/94182/link/ Shades of Red | Against human oppression https://www.podcastics.com/episode/115017/link/ God's glory, our delight  https://www.podcastics.com/episode/126051/link/   Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!

The book of Isaiah is filled with so many rich passages, and today's chapter is one of them. In this study in Isaiah 43, we'll see God's heart as He lays out His redemptive plan for His people, and we'll see how Jesus came as the prophesied redeemer! Today's podcast is a tad long, but filled with rich truths we need to know! DISCUSSION AND STUDY QUESTIONS: 1. Take a moment to skim Isaiah 42 and the introduction of the New Covenant. What is the overall tone of Isaiah 42? How does verse 1 (of Isaiah 43) demonstrate a shift in this tone? Why do you think the Lord speaks this way to His people now? 2. In verse 1, why should the people not fear? What has the Lord done for them? How has He called you by name? 3. In verse 2, how does the Lord promise to walk with His people? How does the Lord describe Himself in verse 3? Why should this bring comfort to us? 4. Verses 3 & 4 speak of a ransom payment. This is speaking about how God brought punishment on the nations through the Babylonian conquest so that Israel might be (ultimately) freed. In the Old Testament, what is a “ransom” payment? (You may want to turn back to Exodus 30:11-16 or relisten to the podcast on that passage). How were these nations a ransom payment for the redemption of God's people? 5. In verse 5 to 9, from where will the Lord gather His people? In terms of the principles of “mountain range prophecies” (that we've talked about in the past), how was this prophecy initially fulfilled when the Jews returned to Israel under Zerubbabel in 538 BC? How is this prophecy being fulfilled now the Lord draw people to Himself from the nations? How will this prophecy finally be fulfilled when Christ returns? 6. Verses 10 to 13 provides some wonderful gems of truth about the Lord. What are some truths that these verses teach about God? What do they say about the nature of our Savior? How do we see aspects of the Trinity and Jesus' hypostatic union in these verses? 7. In verses 14 to 17, how will the Lord make a way of return for His people? 8. In verses 18 & 19, why do you think the Lord tells His people to not dwell upon His old ways of dealing with them? What is the new work He will do (and has done)? 9. In verse 21, what is a key purpose for God's people? How do you fulfill this purpose in your own life? 10. Verses 22 to 24 return back to the theme of the people's disobedience to the Lord. What is the Lord addressing in these verses? Why would anyone become weary of the Lord (vs 22)? How might someone not honor the Lord with their worship (vs 23)? Why does the Lord call these things a “burden” in verse 24? 11. Read verses 26 to 28 and then think about people's complaints about God. What “case” might the people make to the Lord? What will be the outcome of this argument with Him? 12. In verse 25, what does the Lord promise for His kingdom people? How does this confirm His righteousness? How does this confirm His legitimacy to rule these people? 13. Think back over the principles from this chapter. Has the Lord wiped away your transgressions? He has called you by name? Has He formed the worship you give to Him? Are you trusting in Him to be with you in challenges? How can you grow in these spiritual pursuits? Check out our Bible Study Guide on the Key Chapters of Genesis! Available on Amazon! To see our dedicated podcast website with access to all our episodes and other resources, visit us at: www.keychapters.org. Find us on all major platforms, or use these direct links: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6OqbnDRrfuyHRmkpUSyoHv Itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/366-key-chapters-in-the-bible/id1493571819 YouTube: Key Chapters of the Bible on YouTube. As always, we are grateful to be included in the "Top 100 Bible Podcasts to Follow" from Feedspot.com. Also for regularly being awarded "Podcast of the Day" from PlayerFM. Special thanks to Joseph McDade for providing our theme music.   

This week we take a look at Zerubbabel and how God sent a word to encourage him through the prophet Zechariah.  Like Israel and Zerubbabel we often times face enemy opposition which can cause discouragement or we can become indifferent to the assignment God is calling us to do, but we must understand it is not by might nor by power, but by the Lord's Spirit that we will do what He is calling us to do.  No matter how many natural resources or people we have none of it matters if it is not driven by the Holy Spirit.  Unless the Lord builds the house then it is done in vain. 

By Brian Shaw - Drawing from the commissions given to Zerubbabel and Joshua in Haggai 2:1-9 and Zechariah 3:7, this message explores the rebuilding of the temple in 538 BC and its prophetic significance for God's spiritual temple today. Zerubbabel faced discouragement in constructing the physical temple, while

We're in a season of awakening and reformation, where God is revealing prophetic patterns through Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah. The church is being called beyond revival into reformation, stepping into its apostolic mandate to occupy the gates and influence every sphere of society. Now is the time to build a house for the nation amid global shaking, shaping the future of America and beyond.