December 26, 2006 - Haggai and Revelation 17
Haggai has a very simple message that we need to hear during this Christmas season. The people were not obedient to God. They were not rebuilding the Temple after the Exile, but they were rebuilding their own houses. They were being selfish, and they were not concerned about God's house. Therefore, God punished them by causing their money and crops to diminish. Instead of having plenty of money and everything else, they were always coming up short. That was God's way of getting their attention. Let's take this principle and apply it to ourselves this Christmas. Did you find yourself with more than enough, or did you come up short? If you were lacking, stop and examine your obedience to God and ask Him if He is trying to get your attention.
The good lesson of Haggai is that once the people were obedient, God promised His blessing from that day forward. (2:19) Once they quit being selfish and became good stewards of what God had given them, God gave them more than enough. Isn't that a great principle for the New Year? I urge all of us to be obedient stewards in 2007, and let's watch and see what God does.
Revelation 17 is about the judgment of the great harlot. Who or what is the great harlot? I am not completely sure, but I tend to agree with the people who that she represents a false church that will arise during the last times. The Old Testament speaks over and over again of spiritual adultery as a symbol for people running after false gods. Here is the great spiritual harlot to draw people from the Lord to a false religion. It appears that the Antichrist, the beast, will use this religion to get his way. However, in the end Jesus will defeat the Antichrist and his forces easily. (v.14) The grand scheme of Satan to defeat Jesus will fail again. That is what we need to see from this chapter. We must be very careful not to follow the beliefs of this world, even if they seem good. We must not be sucked in to go along with "what everyone else" is doing or saying. The multitudes are often wrong, and we will be led astray ourselves, unless we stick close to the Lord and His Word.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Zechariah 1-4 and Revelation 18.
The good lesson of Haggai is that once the people were obedient, God promised His blessing from that day forward. (2:19) Once they quit being selfish and became good stewards of what God had given them, God gave them more than enough. Isn't that a great principle for the New Year? I urge all of us to be obedient stewards in 2007, and let's watch and see what God does.
Revelation 17 is about the judgment of the great harlot. Who or what is the great harlot? I am not completely sure, but I tend to agree with the people who that she represents a false church that will arise during the last times. The Old Testament speaks over and over again of spiritual adultery as a symbol for people running after false gods. Here is the great spiritual harlot to draw people from the Lord to a false religion. It appears that the Antichrist, the beast, will use this religion to get his way. However, in the end Jesus will defeat the Antichrist and his forces easily. (v.14) The grand scheme of Satan to defeat Jesus will fail again. That is what we need to see from this chapter. We must be very careful not to follow the beliefs of this world, even if they seem good. We must not be sucked in to go along with "what everyone else" is doing or saying. The multitudes are often wrong, and we will be led astray ourselves, unless we stick close to the Lord and His Word.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Zechariah 1-4 and Revelation 18.