Zion – Page 2 – Praying Pint

13.v. “Worship the King, the Lord of hosts”

Zechariah 14:16 Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, there will be no rain on them. And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; there shall be the plague with which the Lord afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths.

Revelation 11:15-17 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign.

Romans 11:26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;

The millennium time is a bit of a mystery. A thousand-year reign with Christ as King. A time of peace and no wars. A time of being in the physical presence of Jesus Christ. Do you ever wonder why there would be people who do not want to or see the need to worship Jesus during this time? Is it possible that we are no different? Do we come to Jesus when convenient and other times we just can’t find the time or make the time? What drives us to come to Him and worship Him? Is it forgiveness of sin? Is it His sacrifice for us? Is it His promise of eternity? Is it His blessings on the work of our hands? Is it the blessings of our family? Is it the blessings of the indwelling Holy Spirit? Is it a peace that passes all understanding? Is it comfort in the storm? Is it courage in the face of whatever we are battling? Is it the understanding of grace, mercy, and love He showered on us? Is it the promise that He will never leave or forsake us? Is it …..? The point is that when we seek and desire Him with all of our heart, mind, and soul, and strength, worship will flow from our heart and mind and soul for Him. When we give the world any place in our heart, mind, and soul it seems to take the worship of Jesus Christ captive and releases our self-centered, self-reliant, self-serving desires. Take a look at your worship of Jesus Christ and place it first above all else.

13.t. “On that day there shall be a fountain opened to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.”

Zechariah 12:10 “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 13:1 “On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.

Isaiah 59:19-21   So they shall fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun; for he will come like a rushing stream, which the wind of the LORD drives.  “And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the LORD.  “And as for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the LORD: “My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children’s offspring,” says the LORD, “from this time forth and forevermore.”

Joel 2:28-29     “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.  Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.

Acts 2:33  Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing.

Titus 3:5-6    he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,  whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

Who will turn to Jesus, the pierced One. His head was pierced with thorns, His hands and feet were pierced with nails, and a spear pierced His side. When we see Jesus crucified – understanding why He went to the cross and what He accomplished there – we are drawn to Him in humble repentance. They/we will look on Him whom they pierced. They will realize that they did it or would have done it and that they bear responsibility – not sole responsibility, but responsibility nonetheless – for the crucifixion of their Savior. Sin and sinfulness must be put away. Sin cannot be excused, condoned, or compromised with. We first must look to Jesus, then in the light of His holiness, grace, and mercy we mourn for our sins and repent. It is in this first act of looking to Jesus that our heart becomes tender, our conscience aware, and our sinfulness exposed. A fountain of grace, mercy, and love is overflowing and is never-ending this side of eternity. Now is the time to look to Jesus, look full into His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. Come to the fountain, drink richly from it, and live to honor and glorify the author and finisher of our salvation.

13.p. “Surely his salvation is near to those who fear Him”

Zachariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.

Matthew 21:4-5   This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,  “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”

John 12:13-15  So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”  And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,  “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your king is coming, sitting on a donkey’s colt!”

Psalms 85:9-12    Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land.  Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other.  Faithfulness springs up from the ground, and righteousness looks down from the sky.

Sometimes the darkness of this world makes it appear that evil is winning over good — but be encouraged: There is no alternate ending to the Bible! There is no scenario … not in politics, not in this pandemic, not in your personal battles … where the devil wins. Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, was sent to redeem those, who by faith, rely on, cling to, and trust in Him alone for forgiveness, redemption, and salvation. There is no other way by which man can be saved. There is no other way to heave but through Jesus Christ. It is through is sacrifice on the cross for our sin that we have hope, faith, and reliance on eternity in heaven.

12.e. “He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.”

Zechariah 2:10 “Shout and be glad, Daughter Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,” declares the Lord. “Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you. The Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem. Be still before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.

Leviticus 26:12   And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.

Ezekiel 37:27    My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Zephaniah 3:17   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.

John 1:14     And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Revelation 21:3    And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.

Some would say that they think God does not exist or that if He does, He is absent and not active in His creation. Nothing could be further from the truth. He knows the cattle on a thousand hills and every hair on our head. A bird does not fall from the sky without Him knowing. He knows our thoughts and actions. He knew of our birth before time began. He knows our beginning and ending. He is the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last. He has sent His Holy Spirit to indwell those who listened and acted (repented, turned away from their sinful nature, and trusted in the blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse their crimson sinful heart to white as snow) on salvation through Jesus Christ. Upon this act of faith, the Holy Spirit indwells the believer and is forever there to guide, convict, encourage, and lead, the believer in what humble service to Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. This indwelling of the Spirit of God is a foretaste of what is to come, God dwelling with mankind. The words to “I can only imagine”

I can only imagine what it will be like

When I walk, by your side

I can only imagine what my eyes will see

When you face is before me

I can only imagine

Surrounded by You glory

What will my heart feel

Will I dance for you Jesus

Or in awe of You be still

Will I stand in your presence

Or to my knees will I fall

Will I sing hallelujah

Will I be able to speak at all

I can only imagine

I can only imagine when that day comes

When I find myself standing in the Son

I can only imagine when all I would do is forever

Forever worship You

I can only imagine

Surrounded by Your glory

What will my heart feel

Will I dance for You, Jesus

Or in awe of you be still

Will I stand in your presence

Or to my knees will I fall

Will I sing hallelujah

Will I be able to speak at all

I can only imagine

I can only imagine hey ya ah

Surrounded by Your glory

What will my heart feel

Will I dance for You, Jesus

Or in awe of you be still

Will I stand in Your presence

Or to my knees will I fall

Will I sing hallelujah

Will I be able to speak at all

I can only imagine

I can only imagine when all I will do

Is forever, forever worship You

I can only imagine

13.c. “I am very angry with the nations that feel secure.”

Zachariah 1:14 Then the angel who was speaking to me said, “Proclaim this word: This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I am very jealous for Jerusalem and Zion, and I am very angry with the nations that feel secure.

Isaiah 47:7-9     You said, “I shall be mistress forever,” so that you did not lay these things to heart or remember their end.  Now therefore hear this, you lover of pleasures, who sit securely, who say in your heart, “I am, and there is no one besides me; I shall not sit as a widow or know the loss of children”:  These two things shall come to you in a moment, in one day; the loss of children and widowhood shall come upon you in full measure, in spite of your many sorceries and the great power of your enchantments.

Amos 6:1    “Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria,

Revelation 18:7-8    As she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so give her a like measure of torment and mourning, since in her heart she says, ‘I sit as a queen, I am no widow, and mourning I shall never see.’  For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.”

Living at rest, secure, and in luxury has a way of leading people down paths of neglect and complacency. It has a way of blinding us from things of God, the need for God, and mindful of how to live for Jesus Christ. Jesus is worthy of how we live, think, and act all of the time. It is hard sometimes because we get comfortable with life when things are at ease. We seem to gravitate toward thinking that our security is in the ease and luxury of life. No matter how many times we are reminded in God’s word that life will have no meaning, no satisfaction, to peace, no joy, or no lasting purpose apart from Jesus Christ and humbly serving, honoring, following, praising, worshiping, obeying, and trusting Him. God has demonstrated over and over again He will not sit silent. He will not sit idle. He will call everyone into account. Be mindful of what your life was like prior to February 2020. The economy was strong, unemployment was low, and people were busy buying and selling. There was not much to worry about other than the political mudslinging. However, there were other things in the wind as well. More and more educators, government officials, and media editors were becoming bolder and bolder in their denial and defiance of things of God. Sitting idly by, not speaking up, and living as though this has no effect on a society that was founded on Christian principles is not God-honoring. You have to wonder how far society has to fall away and turn away from God before He will intervene. He is all-powerful and will call into account people and nations who defy and deny Jesus Christ. Look around, do you think all of this fear, hatred, and confusion, just happens on its own? No, it does not. God is in control and is at the root of all of this, calling all of mankind to humbly repent and turn back to Him.

12.y.O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you”

Zephaniah 3:14 Sing, Daughter Zion; shout aloud, Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, Daughter Jerusalem! The Lord has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm. On that day they will say to Jerusalem, “Do not fear, Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” “I will remove from you all who mourn over the loss of your appointed festivals, which is a burden and reproach for you. At that time I will deal with all who oppressed you. I will rescue the lame; I will gather the exiles. I will give them praise and honor in every land where they have suffered shame. At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes,” says the Lord.

Psalms 42:2-4    My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?  My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?”

Psalms 63:1-2   O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

Jeremiah 31:9    With weeping they shall come, and with pleas for mercy I will lead them back, I will make them walk by brooks of water, in a straight path in which they shall not stumble, for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.

Romans 11:25-26    Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.  And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;

Even in our trials and troubles, God is with us. “Be glad and rejoice with all your heart”. “The Lord is with you”, “I will rescue”, “I will gather”, “I will bring you home”, “I will give”, and “I will restore”. These are all from God. When all around us may be failing and falling apart, God has not changed and His promises are true, His grace, mercy, and love are steadfast, His presences is ever-present, His power to do more than we ask or can imagine is never limited, and all His foes, defiers, and deniers will be defeated and their plans destroyed. Our God is greater. Our God is all-powerful, Our God is all-knowing. Our God is all-in-all. He is our God. Do not allow fear, confusion, and worry place a cloud over you, blocking you from standing in the light of Our God, savior, redeemer, and King of kings. He is God Almighty.

11.

Micah 4:9 Now why do you cry aloud? Is there no king in you? Has your counselor perished, that pain seized you like a woman in labor? Writhe and groan, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in labor, for now you shall go out from the city and dwell in the open country; you shall go to Babylon. There you shall be rescued; there the Lord will redeem you from the hand of your enemies. Now many nations are assembled against you, saying, “Let her be defiled, and let our eyes gaze upon Zion.” But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord; they do not understand his plan, that he has gathered them as sheaves to the threshing floor.

Jeremiah 30:6-7     Ask now, and see, can a man bear a child? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor? Why has every face turned pale?  Alas! That day is so great there is none like it; it is a time of distress for Jacob; yet he shall be saved out of it.

Isaiah 13:8   They will be dismayed: pangs and agony will seize them; they will be in anguish like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at one another; their faces will be aflame.

Jeremiah 22:23    O inhabitant of Lebanon, nested among the cedars, how you will be pitied when pangs come upon you, pain as of a woman in labor!”

Isaiah 21:3    Therefore my loins are filled with anguish; pangs have seized me, like the pangs of a woman in labor; I am bowed down so that I cannot hear; I am dismayed so that I cannot see.

Hosea 13:10-11     Where now is your king, to save you in all your cities? Where are all your rulers— those of whom you said, “Give me a king and princes”?

Time and time again people of God have forsaken their love and devotion to Him. He sends prophets to speak the truth, warnings, and righteousness expected. What do they do? They still choose to disobey and turn their ears deaf to His calling to them. Time and time again. It is not as though they have not heard of the anger of God being displayed against people who have forsaken Him in the past. Yet in their time of prosperity and peace, they choose to go down paths that are away from God. They first become complacent and then neglectful and then disobedient. It is not as though one day they woke up and said “Let us be disobedient to God. It is a small step up on a small step upon a small step. Our growth in Jesus Christ is word upon word, line upon line, and precept upon precept. When we allow ourselves to become neglectful and complacent we are not adding word upon word, line upon line, or precept upon precept. We are though, taking small steps away from God and it does not take many of these steps to lose your way and/or influence others to lose their way too. We do well to search God’s Word for truth for our soul We do well to search it for meaning in our lives. We do well to seek and desire it with all our hearts, minds, and souls. In it, we will find soul-deep satisfaction. In it, we will find living water that will continue to purify our sinful nature. In it, we will become aware of sin in our lives. In it, we will find hope for today and tomorrow. In it we will be more than conquerors, we will be God-honoring faithful, trustful, and obedient followers.

10.y. “But we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever.”

Mica 4:1 It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and it shall be lifted up above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it, and many nations shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many peoples, and shall decide disputes for strong nations far away; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore; but they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken. For all the peoples walk each in the name of its god, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever.

There is a time coming when all the foolishness, greed, power hunger, lies, and rejection of Jesus Christ will be no more. Can you imagine what it will be like without murder, thievery, arrogance, disobedience, self-centeredness, and pride? People will choose to be living under the divine rule and authority of Jesus Christ. It is hard to imagine right now with all this stuff so rampant in our world today. But a time is coming when this will be in the past and what we have been longing for and waiting for will be the reality. When times are trying and the world is seemingly in chaos it is hard to think beyond this but this is actually what we are to keep in our hearts, minds, and souls. This is why we have reason to live. Our Savior is coming back. He will cast away all those who have rejected salvation and will call His own to be with Him forevermore. Some will say this belief is a weakness but to those of us who have awakened to sin, repentance, salvation, and forgiveness it is the power of not only life but eternal life. We are certain as the sun rising and setting that Jesus Christ will return and set things right on earth. Keep your eyes on the hope set before us and wait patiently looking for His return.

10.x. “But me you have forgotten, declares the Lord GOD.”

Micah 3:8 But as for me, I am filled with power, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin. Hear this, you heads of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel, who detest justice and make crooked all that is straight, who build Zion with blood and Jerusalem with iniquity. Its heads give judgment for a bribe; its priests teach for a price; its prophets practice divination for money; yet they lean on the Lord and say, “Is not the Lord in the midst of us? No disaster shall come upon us.” Therefore because of you Zion shall be plowed as a field; Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins, and the mountain of the house a wooded height.

Amos 9:10    All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, who say, ‘Disaster shall not overtake or meet us.’

Jeremiah 7:8-12    “Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail.  Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not known,  and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—only to go on doing all these abominations?  Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the LORD.

2 Peter 2:1-3    But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.  And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed.  And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

Ezekiel 22:12    In you they take bribes to shed blood; you take interest and profit and make gain of your neighbors by extortion; but me you have forgotten, declares the Lord GOD.

Micah did not hold back any words calling out the sin of the people. Justice was a mockery, greed was everywhere, false things were called truth, and things that ought not to have been done were willingly condoned. The further the people got away from God the more they believed in deceptive words, false teachings, and capitalizing on their neighbor’s misfortune. They lost sight of God and their sinful ways. They became so accustomed to their sinful way of life it was normal and they still thought they were in God’s will. To convince themselves of this they proclaimed disaster will not find us or overtake us. And such is the way of many lost prodigal souls. They lost their love for God and His Word. They lost being able to discern what was right and wrong. This is still true today. When God’s Word is not hungered and thirsted for in our daily lives we too will fall away, believe false teachings, and use worldly wisdom and acceptance to convince ourselves that we are right with God. God’s Word is true and able to discern our thoughts and intents if we would but seek it to be active in our lives. His Word is living water and the bread of life. With it filling our souls we will not be led astray by worldly compromise or social norms. Be intentional with His Word every day. Seek it, taste, and see that it is good for your soul.

9.y. “And tomorrow will be like this day, great beyond measure.”

Amos 6:1 “Woe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria, the notable men of the first of the nations, to whom the house of Israel comes! Pass over to Calneh, and see, and from there go to Hamath the great; then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are you better than these kingdoms? Or is their territory greater than your territory, O you who put far away the day of disaster and bring near the seat of violence? “Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory and stretch themselves out on their couches, and eat lambs from the flock and calves from the midst of the stall, who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp and like David invent for themselves instruments of music, who drink wine in bowls and anoint themselves with the finest oils,

Isaiah 56:12    “Come,” they say, “let me get wine; let us fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow will be like this day, great beyond measure.”

Ezekiel 12:22  “Son of man, what is this proverb that you have about the land of Israel, saying, ‘The days grow long, and every vision comes to nothing’?

1 Thessalonians 5:3   While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

2 Peter 3:4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”

Before Covid 19 how many would have been saying “and tomorrow will be like this day, great beyond measure.” Do you ever stop to think about all of those who have rejected God’s call to repentance? I sometimes wonder what it is that keeps them from seeing and hearing what the Word of God calls out. “COME UNTO ME ALL WHO ARE HEAVEY WITH BURDENS AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST”, “FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY SON, THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHALL NOT PERISH BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE”, “I WILL RETURN AGAIN”, “WHERE I AM YOU SHALL BE ALSO”…. these Words of God call out great promises of salvation, redemption, hope, peace, rest, and eternity. Likewise, there are plenty of scripture that have great promises of wrath, anger, and judgment. It is one or the other. There is no middle ground. Belief in Jesus Christ, repenting of sin, trusting in, clinging to, and relying on Jesus Christ, growing in understanding, knowledge, and wisdom through God’s Word, and seeking and desiring to humbly serve honor, and obey Him is the choice of those who will be in eternity with Him. Others will not. Because of their rejection of Jesus Christ, they will spend eternity in torment forever and ever. Know that we will be held accountable for how we live and just like in times of Amos, people would not believe judgment was at their doorstep.