Zechariah 1, 2 [The Message]

Note: At the request of my daughter, I have used The Message Bible audio version for nearly all 66 books. When I begin again in Matthew, I will resume using the NIV Dramatized. I love it. Voices change with each character and there is appropriately matched background music and sound effects to give a believable audio experience. Try it!

The prophet identifies the fact that those that hurtfully touch us are doing it to God. He feels our pain. He holds us as the apple of his eye. It refers to the pupil of our eye, a member that our entire physical being will guard and protect.

 For thus saith the Lord of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye. [Zech. 2:8]

Christ Jesus felt every pain and distress known to man. His empathy makes Him our PERFECT SAVIOR.

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. [Heb.. 4:15]

Haggai 2 [The Message]

If we listen to network news more than we read God’s Word, we will have the wrong perspective. If we live in fear of socialism taking over our country or Putin dropping a nuclear bomb on us, or fearing North Korea’s lunatic dictator, we need to once again gain God’s perspective on everything.

Why do the nations plot, and why do their people make useless plans? The kings of this earth have all joined together to turn against the Lord and his chosen king. They say, “Let’s cut the ropes and set ourselves free!” In heaven the Lord laughs as he sits on his throne, making fun of the nations. The Lord becomes furious and threatens them. His anger terrifies them as he says, “I’ve put my king on Zion, my sacred hill.” [Ps. 2:1-6]

When God created the world, He flung the stars into existence. We can TRUST Him.

Haggai 1, 2 [The Message]

The Mosaic Law had strict rules about how to avoid defilement. The people misunderstood the value of purity and constantly longed for the pleasures of sin which kept them defiled. It was a defeated lifestyle requiring constant sacrifice for sin to become clean. Jesus came to change all that.

IF we confess our sins, HE is faithful and just to FORGIVE US our sins and CLEANSE US from all unrighteousness (defilement.) [1 Jn 1:9]

Shall we continue in sin that grace (needs to) keep abounding? God forbid! [Rom 6]

PRAYER: Lord, shower us with your grace so that we man make quality decisions to AVOID the things that defile us.

Haggai [The Message]

God has spoken through donkeys, thunder, handwriting on stone tablets, and in dreams, but He prefers to speak through men/women.

For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. [2 Pet 1:21]

There is an inner “bearing witness” in the heart of the hearers that says, “Hey, that’s God speaking to me.”

Please listen to this choral arrangement of “In the Garden.” The discipline and poise of everyone is refreshing to behold. They are doing their best to let primarily the message get through.

Zephaniah 2 [The Message]

What do we actually seek?

• The fisherman seeks that BIG ONE
• A man seeks a wife
• The robin seeks a worm
• The prospector seeks gold
• The thirsty seek water to drink
• Teenage boys seek to fill their belly
• Political candidates seek to win an election
• And on and on …

Scripture says “SEEK ye the LORD while He may be found.” [Is.55:6]

Zephaniah 1 [The Message]

It’s coming! God’s judgement day when He holds court on everything and deals out His wrath upon those who mocked His ways and thought they knew better.

Weeping. gnashing of teeth and bloodshed. The bottom will drop out of everything people trusted in. Destruction everywhere. Everything torn down. God predicted that He would shake everything that could be shaken.

When we accept Christ, we can be forgiven of all sin and allow God to refine and shake out of our lives everything that offends Him. Go ahead and let Him do it. It’s a refiner’s fire that burns, but better NOW than LATER.

Habakkuk [The Message]

Debauchery: excessive indulgence in sensual pleasure.

This prophet takes up the task of predicting the fall of those who seek their own gain at the expense of everyone else. He says, “You’ve engineered the ruin of your own house.  In ruining others you’ve ruined yourself. You’ve undermined your foundations, rotted out your own soul. [Hab. 2:10]

Moses declared, “The pleasure of sin only lasts for a season.” Temporary fulfillment and pleasure can have eternally dreadful consequences if a person doesn’t find Christ.

It’s sad to watch a debauched person go down by their own doing. Pray for them. Look for chances to show them the love of Jesus. HE LOVES THEM.

Nahum [The Message]

The 12 Minor Prophets are just smaller books than Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel. They contain some of the most specific and powerful prophecies of Christ and His coming Kingdom.

Nahum wrote about 150 years AFTER Jonah’s revival. He wrote a severe rebuke to the great city of Nineveh which had obviously backslidden since Jonah. It was a call to repentance. People change. God doesn’t. Nevertheless, God through Christ’s merciful offering of His Life to cleanse our sin keeps reaching out to us to redeem us and give us His Love.

This is a powerful excerpt from the Musical, “His Love Reaching,” which our Hope Temple choir and orchestra performed in Findlay, Ohio in 1975. Great song after the narration section.

Micah 7 [The Message]

The prophet cries out to God to bring His People back to their homeland where He will Shepherd them and prosper them once again. This applies, in my opinion, to not only the Jews but to the Church. He states, “God is on my side.” Yes! We can live in this confidence that regardless of the hardships we endure in our culture, God has glorious and great days ahead for us.

If we only listen to the evening news, we can become way too downcast. READ THE WORD instead! We get our news and opinions from what God has said … not CNN or Fax News.

Micah 6 [The Message]

Jesus said, “A wise man built his house upon the rock.” Also, man should not live on bread alone but on every Word that proceedeth from the mouth of God.

Here’s one to live in…

The Lord God has told us what is right and what he demands: “See that justice is done, let mercy be your first concern, and humbly obey your God.” [Micah 6:8 CEV]