Welcome, friends, to another
broadcast of the Moses for Zions 4. Many modern day preachers
tell us that God has now changed and mellowed out and no longer
is angry with the wickedness of mankind. They tell us he is
only doing good things now and is just trying to bless and help
as many folks as he can as long as they will cooperate with him
and quit thinking negative thoughts. Yet we read in the book of Hebrews
that our God is a consuming fire. He who changes not is still angry
with the wicked every day, hating the workers of iniquity with
the same vengeance as he expressed through Zephaniah. By nature,
men think that they have some means at their disposal to mollify
his anger, and by adopting some form of religion that he will
ultimately be pleased. Cain is the perfect example of
this mindset. The Lord demonstrated to Zephaniah
his utter disregard of all forms of man's religion. In these words,
as he mentions, them that worship and that swear by the Lord, and
those that swear by Malcolm altogether. Most of those today who call
themselves Christians honestly believe that the Lord has regard
to them because of their devotion, faithfulness, or good deeds. Others believe that He is pleased
with their adherence to sound doctrine, setting forth the parameters
whereby a man could be considered to be saved, which are directly
in keeping with their definition of what sound doctrine is. Most
often they have a group of pastor kings who define this doctrine
for them in no uncertain terms. These constituents are proudly
identified together on the basis of their agreement with these
precepts as found in their creeds and denominations. The Jews'
religion was much the same. They had confidence in their
doctrine, going about to establish their own righteousness, never
realizing that they were snared by their love of religion. In
the prophecy of Haggai, he would demonstrate the weakness and
barrenness of their own efforts and general impotence and inability
to do anything that would produce lasting or eternal results. The
descriptions he makes of their endeavors, most especially those
of religion, are illustrated as trying to fill a bag with
holes. Whatever a man trusts in, which
is of his own making or participation, is sure to perish, and he along
with it. Thus man has no ability to either
procure his own salvation, nor to even approach unto the Lord
in true worship in his own power. God is a spirit, and they that
worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. Literally,
he can only be worshipped as he is. Since he is the great
I Am, he alone is the one who determines when and how he will
be worshipped. The glorious truth which is brought
forth in the unveiling of the gospel of the glory of the blessed
God, which is brought to us by Jesus Christ, is the only hope
that poor, barren, and impotent sinners can find comfort and
deliverance in. Jesus Christ is that one who
alone has made the barren wasteland to spring up as a fruitful field.
He alone has purchased the eternal redemption of His people and
has established His kingdom in the earth. These are indeed the
last days wherein Christ has made known that the foundation
of the Lord's house standeth sure. The Lord knows them that
are His. He has redeemed them, not with
silver or gold, acts of faith, or the blood of bulls and goats,
but with His own blood, as of a lamb without blemish or spot. It is only in this house which
Christ has built that the true worship which the Lord is pleased
with can be found. No act of man can cause himself
to be part of this building. Nor is the Lord waiting to find
out who the inhabitants of His kingdom are. He is presently
calling those whom He loves with a call which will only be heard
and heeded by those who are made the objects of His grace and
mercy, and revealed by the gift of faith. My sheep hear My voice,
and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give unto them eternal
life, and they shall never perish. Neither shall any man pluck them
out of My hand. What a glorious place to be found.
Can you hear Him today?