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Zephaniah & Haggai Justice or Repentance
Week 25 Day 1
Reading: Zephaniah 2:1-3 "Gather together, yes, gather, O shameless nation, before the decree takes effect --before the day passes away like chaff-- before there comes upon you the burning anger of the LORD, before there comes upon you the day of the anger of the LORD. Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the LORD." ESV
Thought: Repentance is a yes or no question. Answer yes, and salvation is yours. Answer no, and justice awaits. This is the way it has always been and the way it will always be until the Great Day of the Lord when the question is no longer asked. It may seem blunt, but far be it from what others may say, only those who have received Christ will know His eternal peace, it will be them who have been changed from the ways of the world to those of the Lord; this is their repentance. There is no purgatory, no "good" men by earthly definition will be found in the presence of the Lord; and nobody after the judgement has been made will receive a retrial. The official residents of heaven will belong to the Lamb who was slain, for they have chosen repentance; humbling themselves before God such that they should become righteous through living by faith. Now then we have been hidden in Christ Jesus that on that day the Father should not look on us but on His Son who has already borne our punishment.
Prayer: Lord, You seek out Your elect, calling them to repent that they should be received into Your dwellings. Thank You that it pleased You to call me to You. Let Your light be in my life, ever-radiating over others, that they too should be called by You.
Correction & Reproof
Day 2
Reading: Zephaniah 3:2 "She listens to no voice; she accepts no correction. She does not trust in the LORD; she does not draw near to her God." ESV
Thought: None of us like to be criticized, it makes us feel small in comparison to the person presenting the criticism, it causes us to become angry that they should have the nerve to tell us we're doing something know. "They should take the log out of their own eye before commenting on my speck!" "You have no right to judge!" "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit" (Acts7:51). How can you be so deaf that when the Holy Spirit speaks you do not hear but continue in your own blindness? When the Spirit sends another how can you not receive their reproof with a joyous heart? How can you not see that they reproof you for your own sake? That they mean to help your spiritual journey? That they do it out of love?
You are not your own spiritual authority, God is sovereign over you, and if He should send another then you are to receive them with thanksgiving and grace abounding. Has the Lord not placed the church over itself to judge internally and to correct the faithful that they should not fall under the weight of their sin? "Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?" (1Cor5:12). Listen then to the correction of your brothers and sisters, and go to those who wander with sin and show them what is good and right that their soul should be saved (Jam5:20).
Prayer: Lord, You humble to bring us to You. You lead Your flock with a strong hand correcting and bringing reproof to those who wander from Your ways. Send Your Spirit Lord that correction would come upon me, that it would be in love, and when it does arrive I would receive it gladly knowing that Your guiding me to Your ways.
A United Force
Day 3
Reading: Zephaniah 3:9 "For at that time I will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call upon the name of the LORD and serve him with one accord." ESV
Thought: One of the remarkable church growths of recent years has been that of Mars Hill Church Seattle. MHC started 15 years ago as a Bible study group and is now a 9 campus church in one of the most unchurched cities in the US. Some put their growth down to their teaching, their evangelism or their charismatic leadership; but these would not be the primary reason. It is the unity shared by its members and leadership. "Some criticized the church for its dealing with dissent among its leadership and members according to MHC's Biblical convictions. Persons have been asked to leave if they do not trust their leaders judgements" (Wikipedia - Mars Hill Church). Every member of the church is thus expected to fulfil a list of standards; participation in home groups, tithing and offering and must have read the whole Bible. Even after this they are interviewed, in which they may be declined; all to build a strong bond of unity amongst the practicing Christians. It is this unity with practiced Biblical convictions that has meant Mars Hill has been so blessed. Can we say we have been practicing the same unity in our church? Do we have the same dedication; ensuring we are actively living as Christians in our church community? Do we place all of our trust in our church leadership with every decision? I appeal to you: Place your trust in your leaders, do not question their actions but say, "Do whatever it seems good for you to do"; if you are a member or wish to become a member, get involved; join a life group, read the Bible and give both your tithe and your offering. Let's build a community of unity that we would not be hindered in our cause of the Gospel.
Prayer: Lord, You gave to us pastors and leaders through whom You guide the church. You gave us teachers, evangelists, apologists, and prophets with all kinds of gifts. And You gave us Your Spirit to bind us together, that Your representatives would lead Your people in righteousness and good works. Bind our hearts Lord to that of our leaders, as You have bound us to Your heart. This I pray, let Your kingdom come.
Humility & Pride
Day 4
Reading: Zephaniah 3:12-13 "But I will leave in your midst a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the LORD, those who are left in Israel; they shall do no injustice and speak no lies, nor shall there be found in their mouth a deceitful tongue. For they shall graze and lie down, and none shall make them afraid." ESV
Thought: Humility is key to receiving Christ as Saviour, it involves turning from believing you are right and accepting the authority of another over you. Humbling ourselves is the act of stripping away the pride which causes each person to fall individually and hereditarily since it caused of the Fall of Man. In order to be saved me must thus become like children, for "Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (Mat18:4). This humbling is so necessary because "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (Jam4:6) and "Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted" (Mat23:12). For pride is the enemy of all faith for from it is born rebellion against God, and is the principle sin which causes all to fall. But pride will not always present itself as such and can come through the influence of another, for in our culture we applaud those who build us up in our pride; TV, adverts, music etc. Our whole culture has swallowed us in pride, and it only takes the slightest hint to cause a person to fall on their pridal instincts, to fight back. How do we show then that we have ridden ourselves of pride? By becoming servants; "... you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed" (1Tim4:6). For a servant is a witness of his master, and we have a great master in Christ who Himself humbled Himself to the position of a servant, therefore we must become like Christ, like imitators and as disciples.
Prayer: Lord, You are exalted above the heavens, therefore humble us in accordance with Your sovereign holiness; to become holy servants to Your name, to live and love as You died for all.
The Lord is in your midst
Day 5
Reading: Zephaniah 3:15;17 "The LORD has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil. The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing." ESV
Thought: Many were waiting for the kingdom of God to come, when the Lord would be in the midst of the people. Jesus also proclaimed, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Mat10:7), teaching His disciples to do the same. The saying though was to be a stumbling block for many Jews, for Jesus spoke to the Pharisees, "The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There!' for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you." (Luk17:20-21). The kingdom did not come with glory as they had expected, but in secret in places they did not recognize. The kingdom was not with banners and heralds proclaiming peace to Israel, but with heralds preaching peace to all men with repentance, and songs of worship to God. For the Lord was there, in the hearts of the church, for where revelation had been given Christ was present in the saints. The kingdom of God is here, for Christ the Lord is with us, in our midst. Therefore let us be truly joyful that the Lord came to us, by proclaiming repentance and peace, hearts, and by going out to praise God through reaching out to others, for this is our spiritual worship.
Prayer: Lord, You are in our midst, with us to the end of the age. Therefore send us out Lord to bring others into Your kingdom that Your presence would be found also in them. Bind us together now and until we are joined together with You in the last days.
All be to glorify
Day 6
Reading: Haggai 1:7-10 "Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways. Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, that I may take pleasure in it and that I may be glorified, says the LORD. You looked for much, and behold, it came to little. And when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? declares the LORD of hosts. Because of my house that lies in ruins, while each of you busies himself with his own house. Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce." ESV
Thought: I have described before that all the creation exists to glorify the Lord, that His glory is proclaimed in the demonstration of His grace, and thus we are loved and blessed since it was made that we should receive His grace. So we have the theology but what is the systematic theology we can take from this? How then are we to live? Well if the whole creation exists to glorify the Lord by demonstrating His grace then we too are to do the same. Are there not still those out there who have not accepted the love of Christ and the grace He so freely offers? Then our act of glorifying the Lord must before anything else be outreach to those who have yet to see the grace, for in no other way is God so glorified or so much grace shown than when a person turns to receive salvation. So go! Are you not being sent? Go! "As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you. Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them." (Joh20:21-23).
Prayer: Lord, all glory to be You! The wonders of Your grace, who can tell of their depths? You send us out, to declare the wonders of Your love. Send me Lord to the place You have prepared me for, let there be found there a well of Your Spirit, the fountain of my heart. Let it pour forth and Your grace go out from me to all.
The House of the Lord
Day 7
Reading: Haggai 2:9 "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." ESV
Thought: The Lord declares the second Temple would be greater than the first. But how could it have been that the second could be grander than Solomon's Temple which was coated with gold throughout the inside? There was one major difference between the first and second Temple, although the second was not as arrayed with gold as the first, the Lord came and taught in the second. For through the second Jesus walked and talked, and thus the glory of God was present within it. For God was with His people in human likeness. In this regard the high priest was the mediator between man and God, and only at ceremonial times, however it is stated by the writer of Hebrews that the true fulfilment of this and of the whole Law is the Christ; "he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant" (Heb9:15). Since now then we have the Christ inside of us, and we present our bodies as temples of His Spirit, and as living sacrifices we ought to live then as such; committing to the preaching of the Gospel and the transmitting of grace to all.
Prayer: Lord, Your Spirit is in me, filling me, causing me to overflow with Your grace. You died to make me special, to establish me as a temple of Your presence, to demonstrate to all peoples the wonders of Your grace. Therefore never let it stop flowing, let Your grace wash over all I interact with, let Your love be found there.