Fake News….

Why does the “fake news” and sensorship by all the big tech companies bother believers so much? Because it bothers God. When people violate God’s character by practicing things that dishonor Him, and then encourage others to do the same, God will discipline and punish them. Being “politically correct”, “fact checking” and exonerating “fake news”, ignoring real facts to promote your own agenda, and supporting evil behaviors to the point of wanting to punish people for disagreeing, are all forms of lying. God will not allow this kind of behavior to go unpunished. And unfortunately for those who recognize it and fight to put an end to it, they will suffer right along with those who continue to do it. When anyone violates God’s character, we all suffer. Stand up, fight against this hypocrisy. It’s the only way truth and peace can unify mankind.

15 But now I am determined to bless Jerusalem and the people of Judah. So don’t be afraid. 16 But this is what you must do: Tell the truth to each other. Render verdicts in your courts that are just and that lead to peace. 17 Don’t scheme against each other. Stop your love of telling lies that you swear are the truth. I hate all these things, says the Lord.” Zechariah 8:15-17

Unity Is God’s Plan….

Here’s a thought I bet most have never entertained in their minds, when God is displeased with a group’s collective behavior, He can discipline them in many ways. One of those ways is division. If a group is more powerful than all other groups, God may turn the members of that group against each other as a form of discipline. It shows us that no one is above His law, His love, or His sovereignty. America needs to take heed. God’s discipline happens for a reason. As long as we continue to ignore His concerns, things will only get worse, until everyone is turned against each other, and their is no unity to be found anywhere. If God’s ultimate goal is to unify believers, thus accomplishing His plan of bringing glory to Himself by rescuing lost sinners, then why are we blind to the fact that promoting division will never achieve it? Division is one of God’s ways of punishing a powerful society for ignoring Him. Look at the examples in scripture. The Tower of Babel. The Babylonian empire. Even scattering the disciples in order for Jesus to suffer and die alone, were all part of God’s plan. Unity is God’s plan for all who believe, so when we see division, it must mean God is working out His plan of discipline in order to rescue those destined to be with Him. Examine your own heart, and reconcile with God. Unify with His Spirit, so you will recognize His moving in and around your own life.

6 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: All this may seem impossible to you now, a small remnant of God’s people. But is it impossible for Me? says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.7 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: You can be sure that I will rescue My people from the east and from the west. 8 I will bring them home again to live safely in Jerusalem. They will be My people, and I will be faithful and just toward them as their God.9 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Be strong and finish the task! Ever since the laying of the foundation of the Temple of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, you have heard what the prophets have been saying about completing the building. 10 Before the work on the Temple began, there were no jobs and no money to hire people or animals. No traveler was safe from the enemy, for there were enemies on all sides. I had turned everyone against each other. Zechariah 8:6-10

The Fastest Way To Upset God….

The fastest way to upset God is to ignore Him on a daily basis. With this in mind, do you think God is upset with America? With you?

4 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies sent me this message in reply: 5 “Say to all your people and your priests, ‘During these seventy years of exile, when you fasted and mourned in the summer and in early autumn, was it really for Me that you were fasting? 6 And even now in your holy festivals, aren’t you eating and drinking just to please yourselves? 7 Isn’t this the same message the Lord proclaimed through the prophets in years past when Jerusalem and the towns of Judah were bustling with people, and the Negev and the foothills of Judah were well populated?’ ”8 Then this message came to Zechariah from the Lord: 9 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Judge fairly, and show mercy and kindness to one another. 10 Do not oppress widows, orphans, foreigners, and the poor. And do not scheme against each other.11 “Your ancestors refused to listen to this message. They stubbornly turned away and put their fingers in their ears to keep from hearing. 12 They made their hearts as hard as stone, so they could not hear the instructions or the messages that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies had sent them by His Spirit through the earlier prophets. That is why the Lord of Heaven’s Armies was so angry with them.13 “Since they refused to listen when I called to them, I would not listen when they called to Me, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 14 As with a whirlwind, I scattered them among the distant nations, where they lived as strangers. Their land became so desolate that no one even traveled through it. They turned their pleasant land into a desert.” Zechariah 7:4-14

Dying With Our Song Still Inside Of Us….

Humans celebrate strength. They celebrate winning. They hold achievement in the highest regards. With the internet and social media being the main way people communicate these days, “looking good” is the goal of many. God sees things differently. He takes no pleasure in human strength. Nor does He ever care about portraying Himself in a manner that others see Him as better than He really is. The Lord’s delight is found in our obedience to Him, our reverence for Him, and especially when we place our trust and hope in Him alone. The world’s ways differ dramatically from God’s ways. Until we realize this, we will continue to pursue the unattainable, eventually dying with our song still inside of us.

10 He takes no pleasure in the strength of a horse or in human might.11 No, the Lord’s delight is in those who fear Him, those who put their hope in His unfailing love. Psalms 147:10-11

Complacent With Our Own Sin….

You might think when you see or read about people who commit heinous crimes that they are the worst people on earth in God’s eyes. You might even think, “I’m so glad I’m not like that”. If you do, you might find yourself slowly creeping closer to the actual worst place anyone could ever be. And that is complacent with your unrepentant sin. The most wicked people and the most godly people God sees and deals with as normal. It’s the people who either used to worship Him, or still are half-heartedly worshipping Him, that hurts Him the most. Thinking God will do nothing to you, good or bad, and believing your current sinful behavior isn’t as bad as others, so you get complacent about it, places you in the worst situation a human being can be in. It’s like when Jesus said, “you are neither hot or cold, but lukewarm, so I will spit you out of my mouth” (my paraphrase). The worst place any human being can ever be is not committing violent or unspeakable crimes; it’s being complacent with our own sin. Never allow yourself to go there.

12 “I will search with lanterns in Jerusalem’s darkest corners to punish those who sit complacent in their sins. They think the Lord will do nothing to them, either good or bad. Zephaniah 1:12

Do You Have This Kind Of Faith?

Like Job, Meshach, Shadrach, Abendigo, Daniel, and Abraham, Habakkuk knew God intimately, to a level of trust that he could wholeheartedly welcome adversity with a confidence that God would rescue him. Do you have this kind of faith? Before you answer, I’m not trying to compare the amount of your faith you have or not have. I’m asking do you see God as fully trustworthy with your life? Do you trust God no matter what it might cost you? It’s not the amount of faith we have that matters most, it’s the worthiness of the recipient in which we place our faith that is most important. How we see God, determines our faith. And in the end (as Jesus told Peter), we should pray that our faith never fails us. How can it fail when we place it in God alone?

I trembled inside when I heard this;my lips quivered with fear.My legs gave way beneath me,and I shook in terror.I will wait quietly for the coming day when disaster will strike the people who invade us.17 Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails,and the fields lie empty and barren;even though the flocks die in the fields,and the cattle barns are empty,18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights. Habakkuk 3:16-19a

What We Put Our Confidence In….

Confidence is a good thing. It’s not the actual confidence that can lead us down the wrong road, rather it’s what we put our confidence in that truly matters. It’s okay to place some confidence in ourselves. We have to, to exist and move. It’s only when we place more confidence than we need to that it becomes our god. Confidence comes from God, so the majority we should have should be placed in Him (it’s source). Pride, arrogance, and self-sufficiency all come from when we place too much confidence in ourselves, when we look to ourselves alone for the answers. It eventually turns what God meant for good, into something that competes for His affection, which leads to separation. Division from God by choice is what the Bible (OT) calls spiritual prostitution. We all know where that leads us, right? When God is no longer the center of our life, our unfaithfulness leads us to replace Him with something else. And this is not possible, God is irreplaceable. Make sure you place your confidence in the only place it can survive and thrive; a little in ourselves (necessary to function), and the majority in God. When you do, confidence becomes Godfidence, the fuel that makes faith go.

11 They sweep past like the wind and are gone.But they are deeply guilty,for their own strength is their god.” Habakkuk 1:11

“Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God. Habakkuk 2:4a