Before, Or After

December 24
Daily Reading – Zechariah 1-3 / Revelation 18  

GOD SAID:

Zechariah 1:3 Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.

GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

  As a child growing up, I lived at home with my mom, dad, and my only sister. Even back then I was smart enough not to pick on my mom and dad. So, that left my little sister as the target of my practical jokes and childish tortures. When I was caught, (which was often,) I’d receive some sort of punishment, and then was sent to my room to reflect on what I had done and the punishment. After a while, I was called in front of my parents and sister and told, “tell your sister you’re sorry , or go back to your room.” If I said it with a snotty voice, my parents would say, “tell her you’re sorry again, and mean it!” Before the punishment was to be over, I had to say I was sorry. Sometimes, I’d just say the words to be done with the punishment.

    Today there’s a question in some churches of whether we must repent before, or, after salvation. Repentance means to turn from facing one way, do an about face, and turn to face another. In Zech. 1:3 God says; “…Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.” So what did God expect them to turn from? Zech. 1:4 explains this when it says; “…Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings:…” Before, God would turn toward them, they needed to repent, turn away from their sin. They had to be sorry for their sin, and prove it by repenting, turning. P.S. God knows if we are telling the truth or not.

GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        Why would we expect, or ask God to turn to us in our sinfulness? He sent Jesus to free us from that sin filled life, not condone it. What a blessing to know, that when we repent, turn from sin, to our Saviour, He does forgive completely, and, washes our sin away

Have you been cleansed?

Living In His Word Ministries
       “Getting people into the Word of God…
                               … and the Word of God into people.”

Dr. Franklin J. Senters Th.D.
Founder and Executive Director
Hebrews 2:12

Busy, Often Too Busy

December 23
Daily Reading – Haggai / Revelation 17

GOD SAID:

Haggai 1:5-6 Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.

GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

  Work, work, work, day after day, and it seems to get you no where. In today’s industrial mindset it seems your family well being is the last thing considered in the corporate bottom line. Most feel if you don’t want to do the job, leave; hundred’s of people are in line to do your job, and probably for less pay. Sometimes a bad work environment causes this situation. Sometimes it’s our own desire to have more. More of what we really don’t need, just want. More of what the neighbor has that appears to make them happy, but doesn’t. It’s the misguided notion, “I deserve better.” At some point we have ask, better than what? Better than who? How much better does it have to get? Better than the rest of the world? In America, we’re for the most part financially better off now. Better than the neighbors? When you do get better than your current neighbors, you’ll probably move, only to find a new neighbor to compete with. When is enough, enough?

    The people of Israel had been given enough. Yet, in their drive for more they had neglected God, and the House of God. Not because they hated God. Not because they didn’t want God’s house to be built. They just got too busy with self to think about God. In without realizing it, they had become their own gods. However, with some reminding of the Lord, It says in Haggai 1:14, their hearts were stirred for the work of the Lord, and they did so. Let’s never get too busy for God.

GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        To provide a safe haven of love and security at home, we must always place God in the center of our life. In Haggai 1:5, the Lord said; “Consider your ways.” Maybe we should all do the same thing. Do we neglect God? He never neglects us.

Have we considered our ways?

Living In His Word Ministries
       “Getting people into the Word of God…
                               … and the Word of God into people.”

Dr. Franklin J. Senters Th.D.
Founder and Executive Director
Hebrews 2:12

All With One Voice

December 21 & 22
December 21 – Zephaniah / Revelation 16
December 21 – NO Daily Reading

GOD SAID:

Zephaniah 3:9 For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent.

GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

   Today, almost everywhere in the world, we live in multicultural communities. In the city I live in, (Holland, Mi.) there are several different nationalities. Many speak English and/or Spanish around here. We also have some Vietnamese, German, Korean, Japanese, and more. Since Holland was founded as a Dutch community, we still have many families with very close ties to people in the Netherlands. While growing up, I had a friend in school who had moved here in about fourth grade from their. He spoke a little English, as it had been taught in school in the Netherlands. His mom however, spoke little to no English. I could barely understand a thing she would say, and she couldn’t understand me either. When I would say something, she would look at her son Robert and say, “Wat zei hij?” Which means, “what did he say?” I could only hope he told her the truth.

   God caused all this confusion because of man’s disobedience. Way back in Genesis, after the flood, God said that people should move around the planet to populate the world. Instead, they all just stayed in one place. So, at the tower of Babel, He confused peoples languages so they would obey His command and move. However, here in Zephaniah we’re told that in the end, God will give us all one language again. “A pure language.” No one knows what that might be. What we do know, is that we will all, with one voice call upon the Lord.

GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

   I sat in tears, as a congregation of several thousand, mostly Pastors, sang, “How Great Thou Art.” It was like nothing I had ever heard. Now imagine all of heaven with one voice in one language singing the praises of our God. I get chill bumps thinking of it.

Can you imagine the Joy?


 

THE WEEK IN REVIEW:

    Won’t it be wonderful to gather Around The Throne of the Lord. Over and again we read of The Day of The Lord in:

●  Another Chance
●  Arise, Depart
●  Age Old Question
●  Anger Of The Lord
●  Answer Me, Please
●  All With One Voice

    Following that time, He said He would make all things new. Then, we who are His own will gather Around The Throne to sing praise with one voice. Amen.

SUNDAY:

        Today we suggest you read and study whatever the Lord has laid on your Pastors heart. Whatever scripture he uses for today’s messages were given to him by God for your specific needs

December 23, 2019	Haggai	Revelation 17
December 24, 2019	Zechariah 1-3	Revelation 18
December 25, 2019	Zechariah 4-6	Revelation 19
December 26, 2019	Zechariah 7-10	Revelation 20
December 27, 2019	Zechariah 11-14	Revelation 21
December 28, 2019	Malachi	Revelation 22
December 29, 2019	No Passages Assigned

It says in
Revelation 21:5

And he that sat upon
the throne said, Behold,
I make all things new.
And he said unto me,
Write: for these words are
true and faithful.”

Living In His Word Ministries
       “Getting people into the Word of God…
                               … and the Word of God into people.”

Dr. Franklin J. Senters Th.D.
Founder and Executive Director
Hebrews 2:12

Answer Me, Please

December 20
Daily Reading – Habakkuk / Revelation 14-15

GOD SAID:

Habakkuk 1:13 Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?

GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

  Yak, yak, yak, blah, blah, blah. Some people will never shut up. There’s not one moment of silence in their life. Would that drive you crazy? What would drive you even crazier is complete silence. It may seem like a blessing at first, but after a while, silence is actually deafening. Couples do it. An argument comes up, one or both get angry, and the silent treatment begins. After a while, little notes start popping up in the house. Neither wants to be the one to give in. The, “I want it my way” attitude kicks in. That is not love. Love is giving and kind. The silent treatment can be a tool, or, it can be a weapon.

    In today’s verse Habakkuk faced the silent treatment of God. First he states the obvious. God cannot be around sin. It’s like shining a light into a closet trying to see the darkness. It can’t be done. So Habakkuk asks; if you can’t look at sin, how is it that you watch all this wickedness, and don’t say or do anything? You see, God has a different schedule than we do. Yes, He would punish those who were punishing Israel. Yet, He also needed to remain silent for now, to allow Israel to realize the consequences’ for their sin. This was probably as hard on God as it was on Habakkuk. Keeping silent with someone you love is hard to do. God’s love only let that silence continue so long, then He spoke up in the next chapter. Silence is a great communicator. However, it must be regulated by love. God prefers to answer us, than to be silent.

GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        Silence is not really golden. However, with very few words you can make a day go from gloomy, to dreamy. You don’t have to say a lot. A simple, sincere; “I Love You” will most often do just fine.

Have you spoken out loud to God today,
and told Him that you love Him?

Living In His Word Ministries
       “Getting people into the Word of God…
                               … and the Word of God into people.”

Dr. Franklin J. Senters Th.D.
Founder and Executive Director
Hebrews 2:12