Fri.’s Devo - Hope for America and Israel - Merry Christmas!!!!

Read: Zechariah 8:1-23; Revelation 16:1-21; Psalm 144:1-15; Proverbs 30:29-31 God is love. He can not being who he is and he loves Jerusalem. He had to discipline her for 70 years but he is passionate about his city and his holy mountain, Mt. Zion. He show Zechariah the future Jerusalem when she will be filled with people young and old. It might look impossible from where Zechariah was sitting but it was not impossible from where God is sitting. Read verses 6-13 as if Judah is America and Israel is the Jewish nation and it will bless your socks off because this is exactly what God is saying to us. We have to complete the building of the Temple of the Lord in our hearts, in America and in the world. That is our mandate. Then God answered the question that the people from Bethel had come to ask Zechariah that we read yesterday. God’s answer was to turn their fasting into rejoicing. Instead of mourning over the first fall of Jerusalem, they were to rejoice over the victory and blessing that God was sending. People from all over the world will come to Jerusalem to be blessed and to hear from the Jew the good news. In Revelation, we see the seven bowls being poured out on the ones who have the mark of the beast and who worshipped his statute. The first bowl produced malignant sores, the second turned the water in the sea to blood and killed everything in the sea, the third turned the fresh water to blood killing everything in the fresh waters. Since the people had shed the blood of God’s people and prophets, they would have blood to drink for their reward. The fourth bowl was poured on the sun causing it to burn everyone with blasts of heat. This caused many to blasphemy the name of the Lord as the refused to repent. The fifth bowl was poured out on the throne of the beast and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. They also cursed God and refused to repent. The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the Euphrates River and it dried us so they could march their armies to the west on dry land. Three evil spirits let from the mouths of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet. These evil spirits will work miracles and go out to gather the world for battle against the Lord on the great judgement day. He interjects an encouragement: he is coming as a thief in the night for those who are evil but he was telling his remnant so they would be ready. The demonic spirits and all their armies on the earth will all gathered at Armageddon. The seventh angel will then pour out his bowl into the air. A shout from the Temple in heaven will shout “It is finished!” Thunder will crash and lightning will flash and a great earthquake will shake the earth. The city of Babylon will split into three sections and the cities of many nations will crumble. Babylon will get what she deserved. Every island will disappear and the mountains will be leveled. A terrible hailstorm will rain down 75 pound hailstones. After reading about those hailstones it is nice to read the first line of our Psalm: “The Lord is our Rock!” Lord, we know that you have written the end from the beginning for not only the end of times but for the times we are living in. May we be diligent about building the temple of the Holy Spirit within us and your kingdom on the earth and not give in to fear or despair. You are in control!