Zechariah 5
The Flying Scroll
1 I looked again—and there before me was a flying scroll! 2 He asked me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a flying scroll, thirty feet long and fifteen feet wide. [a] "
3 And he said to me, "This is the curse that is going out over the whole land; for according to what it says on one side, every thief will be banished, and according to what it says on the other, everyone who swears falsely will be banished. 4 The LORD Almighty declares, 'I will send it out, and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of him who swears falsely by my name. It will remain in his house and destroy it, both its timbers and its stones.' "
The Woman in a Basket 5 Then the angel who was speaking to me came forward and said to me, "Look up and see what this is that is appearing." 6 I asked, "What is it?" He replied, "It is a measuring basket. [b] " And he added, "This is the iniquity [c] of the people throughout the land."
7 Then the cover of lead was raised, and there in the basket sat a woman! 8 He said, "This is wickedness," and he pushed her back into the basket and pushed the lead cover down over its mouth.
9 Then I looked up—and there before me were two women, with the wind in their wings! They had wings like those of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between heaven and earth.
10 "Where are they taking the basket?" I asked the angel who was speaking to me.
11 He replied, "To the country of Babylonia [d] to build a house for it. When it is ready, the basket will be set there in its place."
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Ephesians 6:10-18
The Armor of God
10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
January 28, 2008
Armed And Extremely Effective
ODB RADIO: Listen Now Download
READ: Ephesians 6:10-18
We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against . . . spiritual hosts of wickedness. —Ephesians 6:12 About this cover Last January, the police officers in Tijuana, Mexico, had their guns confiscated. It was suspected that some of them had been in collusion with drug traffickers. At first, fearing for their safety, the police stopped patrolling. But eventually, some of them returned to work—carrying slingshots. Three weeks passed before their more effective weapons were returned to them.
Although we all remember a shepherd boy who used a sling and a single smooth stone with great success in his encounter with a giant (1 Sam. 17), few of us would have the courage to face violent threats armed with such puny protection. But every day, although we are often ill-prepared, we do face a threat. As believers, we fight against an enemy we cannot see. Our struggle is not “against flesh and blood, but against . . . spiritual hosts of wickedness” (Eph. 6:12). The outcome of this battle is sure, however. Jesus is the Victor. And using the armor and weapons He supplies, we are able “to stand” (v.13). We fight in His power and strength.
Each day we must put on the armor of God—the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, and the sword of the Spirit, God’s Word (vv.13-17). Preparation and protection are the key to winning spiritual battles. —Cindy Hess Kasper
Though fierce the hatred of our foeWhose legions seek to work us woe,He can’t destroy the Living WordNor those who own Him as their Lord. —D. De Haan
Spiritual victory comes only to those who are prepared for battle.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
January 28, 2008
How Could Someone So Persecute Jesus!LISTEN: READ:
Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? —Acts 26:14 About this cover Are you determined to have your own way in living for God? We will never be free from this trap until we are brought into the experience of the baptism of "the Holy Spirit and fire" (Matthew 3:11). Stubbornness and self-will will always stab Jesus Christ. It may hurt no one else, but it wounds His Spirit. Whenever we are obstinate and self-willed and set on our own ambitions, we are hurting Jesus. Every time we stand on our own rights and insist that this is what we intend to do, we are persecuting Him. Whenever we rely on self-respect, we systematically disturb and grieve His Spirit. And when we finally understand that it is Jesus we have been persecuting all this time, it is the most crushing revelation ever.
Is the Word of God tremendously penetrating and sharp in me as I hand it on to you, or does my life betray the things I profess to teach? I may teach sanctification and yet exhibit the spirit of Satan, the very spirit that persecutes Jesus Christ. The Spirit of Jesus is conscious of only one thing— a perfect oneness with the Father. And He tells us, "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:29 ). All I do should be based on a perfect oneness with Him, not on a self-willed determination to be godly. This will mean that others may use me, go around me, or completely ignore me, but if I will submit to it for His sake, I will prevent Jesus Christ from being persecuted.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
The Light in Your Night - #5491 Monday, January 28, 2008
We had rented a cabin in the mountains, and we didn't want to leave it much. The view across the valley was like a majestic painting. It would change as the sun and the weather changed - all the kind of moods you have in the mountains. I had looked at the mountain across the valley from us many times, but finally I took a good look that direction at night. That's when I saw it - the cross. There was a lighted cross on top of the mountain, glowing in the night from a vantage point where it could be seen all around. Actually, that cross is there all the time but you don't really see it until it's dark.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Light in Your Night."
For many of us, the greatest discovery of our lives came when it was night; one of those dark times we all go through in our life. A lot of people have learned that when it's night, you can see the cross, often for the first time in your life.
The cross - that awful place where Jesus was brutally crucified - turns out to be the ultimate proof of how much God loves you and me. If it's sacrifice that proves love, then we don't ever have to wonder how God feels about us. God the Father gave up God the Son to absorb the guilt and hell for every wrong thing you and I have ever done. There has never been a greater sacrifice. There's never been a greater love.
But we can know about what happened at that cross. We can be around it for years and still miss the forgiveness, the love, and the heaven that Jesus died to give us. Maybe you've been avoiding dealing with Jesus personally. Maybe you feel someone's been pressuring you about Jesus, and that's just made you resist it even more. Maybe it's pride that's kept you from your life-changing encounter at the cross, or even your Christianity, because you've thought having Christianity meant having Christ.
It's easy to go busily about the routines of your life and never really see that cross - until it's suddenly night time. Something happens to your health, to your family, to your job, or to whatever you've counted on for security. And none of your answers, none of your fixes are enough. That's when a lot of people look up and finally see the cross, shining in their night, showing them where hope is.
In John 12:32-33, our word for today from the Word of God, Jesus said, "'When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to Myself.' He said this to show the kind of death He was going to die.'" That was it - lifted up to die on a cross. But there would be a magnet in that old hunk of wood; a magnet that would draw the people He died for to His side.
Which is exactly why you may be feeling that tug in your heart right now. He's drawing you to come to the cross, to give yourself to Him, and to find what you've spent your whole life looking for. All those religious hang-ups, all those lame arguments, all the proud resistance, all the spiritual pride drops to the ground at the foot of His cross - and you finally belong to the One you were made for.
If you've been doing it without Jesus all these years, for whatever reason, and you want this to be the day you finally experience Him for yourself, would you tell Him that right where you are, "Lord, I turn from the running of my own life, and I'm pinning all my hopes on You because You died for me." If that is what you want, and you want to be sure you have that relationship, I think I could give you some encouragement and some help if you'll just visit our website. And I hope you'll go there right away today. It's yoursforlife.net. And it's really there to help you at a moment like this. Or you can call and ask for my little booklet Yours For Life. And you can call toll free and ask for it at 877-741-1200.
Maybe it's night right now, not because God doesn't love you, but because He does. He doesn't want to lose you. His cross shines very brightly in your night. Once you meet Him there, it will never be night in your soul again.
To find out how you can begin a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, please visit: yoursforlife.net or call 1-888-966-7325.
