There are two verses in Proverbs 12 that I want to look at today! The first is verse 13:
13 The wicked is [dangerously] snared by the transgression of his lips, but the [uncompromisingly] righteous shall come out of trouble.
The word for "lips" here is the Hebrew word "saphah", which means: lip, language, speech. The wicked are trapped by their own words, which are usually contrary to God's Word! But the promise to the righteous is that they shall ALWAYS come OUT of trouble! There will always be a way out for those who stand strong on God's Word, including using 1 John 1:9 to confess when we DO miss it and receive the forgiveness and cleansing from that sin and ALL unrighteousness! Thank You, LORD Jesus! Then verse 21:
21 No [actual] evil, misfortune, or calamity shall come upon the righteous, but the wicked shall be filled with evil, misfortune, and calamity.
It may LOOK like evil is happening when we are hit with various tests and trials, but remember that God has given the answer for every problem we will EVER be faced with ! Stand on His Word and you WILL see HIS results, no matter WHAT things look like! The things that LOOK like evil and calamity just present an opportunity to speak God's Word into those situations and see God's results! AMEN! But as for the wicked, those without Jesus of Nazareth as Lord and personal Saviour, they shall be "filled", the Hebrew word "mala`", which means: to be full, an abundance, overflow, to be filled up, to the full extent, with evil, misfortune and calamity! We don't need definitions to understand what those three words mean, and we DON'T want them! Thank You, Jesus, for YOUR righteousness that put US in right standing! GLORY TO GOD!
Revelation 18:1-2:
1 THEN I saw another angel descending from heaven, possessing great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his radiance and splendor (KJV). 2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become a habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird (AMP).
The double "is fallen" is not a mistake or a typo. The world system is really a dual system. The enemy, who was handed authority of the world system by Adam, has set up a double system in the earth that is controlled in the spiritual realm by the devil and his demons and in the natural realm by wicked and ungodly leaders and rulers who are led and directed by the god of this world, satan. Notice the little "g". Although he would like to think of himself as such, the devil will NEVER be God, or even like HIM! He has been defeated by Jesus and has no authority over anyone who has given their life to Jesus of Nazareth as Lord and personal Saviour! He, for now, has a legal right to exist on the earth, but not much longer! So this verse is most likely speaking of the fall of the demonic influence AND the natural city with its human rulers! What is the future of both? IT IS FALLEN! Verse 4:
4 I then heard another voice from heaven saying, Come out from her, my people, so that you may not share in her sins, neither participate in her plagues.
God requires us to separate ourselves from the world's way of doing things! We are to spend our time with like-minded believers so that we can remain strong in faith and walk in HIS authority, for our own lives and to set others free, too!
In Zechariah 4-6 we see more of the 8 visions that he received from the LORD. In the first one here, Zechariah sees a lampstand with 7 lamps and a bowl on top for the oil. There were also 2 olive trees beside it feeding oil to the lamps so that they would not go out. The 2 olive trees represented Joshua, the priest, and Zerubbabel, the governor. What it also represented is shown in verse 6:
6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the Word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.
We can attempt to do the work of God in one of three ways:
- We can trust our own strength and wisdom.
- We can trust the resources of the world.
- We can depend on the power of Almighty God!
I KNOW which I will choose! The ONLY really effective choice! The first two may APPEAR to succeed, at first, but in the end, it is only the power of Almighty God that will have a lasting victory and success! Then in Zechariah 6 we see this in verses 11-13:
11 Yes, take from them silver and gold, and make crowns and set (one) upon the head of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, 12 And say to him, Thus says the LORD of hosts: [You, Joshua] behold (look at, keep in sight, watch) the Man [the Messiah] whose Name is the branch, for he shall grow up in His place and he shall build the [true] temple of the LORD. 13 Yes, [you are building a temple of the LORD, but] it is He Who shall build the [true] temple of the LORD, and He shall bear the honor and glory [as of the only begotten of the Father] and shall sit and rule upon His throne. And He shall be a Priest upon His throne, and the counsel of peace shall be between the two [offices -- Priest and King].
Yeshua (Jesus)! Jesus is our High Priest and He IS the King of all kings! AMEN! He will rule and reign as such during the Millennium following the Tribulation. THEN there will be true peace on earth - and NOT before! Come quickly, LORD JESUS! AMEN!
Shalom in Him!
