“HE NEVER FAILS!”
Suggested Reading: Zephaniah 3
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
On the right of the photograph you can see the southwest corner of the Temple Mount area. The broken foundations of the walls were built thousands of years before modern Jerusalem's walls. Seen in the middle of the photo are new buildings in modern Jerusalem built with the same kind of stone that was used by builders down through the ages. The people who live in these buildings want to be near the Temple area where they "call on the Name of the Lord" with "a pure language." Hebrew has been restored as the language of modern Israel (Zephaniah 3:9a).
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verse: Zephaniah 3:17
The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.
Today’s reading begins with a description of the condition of Jerusalem’s leaders at that time. There are corrupt princes, judges, prophets and priests (Zephaniah 3:3) who are in place. But this will not last! Zephaniah is coming on strongly! Daniel and other godly young men are about to come on the scene to shepherd God’s people under the coming Babylonian rule. Zephaniah is optimistic about the future. God gives him prophecies that are full of promises of God’s favour. Our key verse is filled with hope! Someone has said, “The future is as bright as the promises of God!” As the above photograph shows, Jerusalem as a city has been restored. And the spiritual “City of God” described by Zephaniah is under construction by the Spirit of God. Jerusalem is the only city for which the Bible asks readers to pray. Let’s do this today! Let’s all read Psalm 122.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Yes Lord, I am praying for Jerusalem. I sing with You! I am glad and rejoice with You! (Zephaniah 3:14). I have seen the fulfillment of Your promise, O Lord, to bring the Jewish people back to Israel. Now, Lord, I pray for a mighty spiritual revival where Your Messiah, Jesus, will be Lord and Saviour for the majority! In His Name I pray. Amen!!!
100 PERSONAL WORDS: actually about 300 words. sorry about that.
I understand that by about 65 A.D. close to a majority of the people of Jerusalem believed that Jesus of Nazareth was Messiah. But then, because of persecution by the Roman appointed High Priest, the actions of those who wanted to overthrow Roman rule, and the cruel response of the Roman authorities, thousands of Jewish Christians left Jerusalem and settled elsewhere. Jerusalem and the Temple suffered destruction in 70 A.D. Eventually, the Romans would not allow Jews or Christians (who were mostly Jews) to live in Jerusalem, and so it became a totally pagan city for at least 150 years. Jews and Christians trickled back there around the year 320 A.D., after Constantine became Emperor of Rome.
I must comment on God’s promise of Zephaniah 3:9, “I will restore to the people a pure language.” In 1979 Crossroads produced a movie called “Apples of Gold.” In that movie our film crew interviewed an elderly lady who was the daughter of Eleazer Ben Jehuda. She told how her father was awakened in the middle of the night and heard a voice saying to him, “You are called to revive the Hebrew language as the everyday language of the people who will come to live in a future state called Israel.” That is exactly what has happened! Today even the menus in the Jerusalem restaurants are in Hebrew. A language that had been dead since the Babylonian captivity has been revived. To my knowledge this has never happened before to any people. I think we can assume that the other promises given by God through Zephaniah will also be fulfilled!!! There are now dozens of Jewish Christian congregations throughout Israel that conduct their services in Hebrew. Zephaniah wrote of God, “He never fails!” (3:5) and God said, “Therefore, wait for Me!” (3:8a).
Yours because “He never fails!”
David
P.S. I couldn’t help but begin singing the song, “God can do anything but fail” (click here for the Charlotte Mass Choir with soloist Albertina Walker).
God Can Do Anything But Fail,
Albertina Walker
God can do anything, anything, anything
God can do anything but fail
God can do anything, anything, anything
God can do anything but fail
Chorus:
He’s the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end
He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my soul
God can do anything, anything, anything
God can do anything but fail
He can save, He can cleanse
He can keep, and He will
God can do anything but fail
He can save, He can cleanse
He can keep, and He will
God can do anything but fail
Repeat Chorus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXTNrrPFw7M
There is nothing I can say except AMEN AND AMEN
Lianne
Placing our trust in God’s ability to carry out His promises and to tender the needs of His people, never disappoints. Within the very depths of our being, He is our Creator as well as all things which surround us every day. “But only God can make a tree.” Joyce Kilmer 1886 – 1918 . The importance of respecting and realizing our human limitations can be summarized by Jesus in Matthew 19:26 “Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Let us place our complete faith in Him, what needs to be done in each of our lives this today. His blessings and strength, to all!
Amen, brother, amen!!!
Amen!
Amen!
Thanks, David Mainse, for going above and beyond what you have set out to do. I listened to Zephania 3 a few times. The message given from the Lord to the people of Jerusalem was so powerful! Those same uplifting words are given to us to face every day with His strength behind us!
You have provided an excellent history lesson, David–thank you! The scripture tells us to pray for the people of Israel. By 65 AD, close to a majority of the people of Jerusalem believed Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah. The history of Jerusalem and fact that the Hebrew language was maintained is amazing. The irony of the situation is those Jewish people living in Israel and around the world do not believe Jesus was the Messiah. But there is a reason for everything that God knows! I am wondering what the true percentage is between non-believing Jews and Christian Jews. I find it quite remarkable!
I regret not having studied Judaism and Hebrews in my studies. I find it so fascinating, now. But the appropriate time to be enriched by the Bible and its history has been provided through this blog with you as my guide, David–thank you, fine sir! It has been and continues to be a remarkable gift!! Praise God through whom all blessings flow!!!
It would be incredible to see the movie ‘Apples of Gold’, to see the daughter of Eleazer Ben Jehuda, sharing how her father was awakened in the night by a voice giving him direction to carry on the Hebrew language for the future of mankind! That is God! Love so AMAZING!!! Jesus Messiah, Lord of all! Jesus Messiah by Chris Tomlin comes to mind.
Zephaniah wrote of God, “He never fails!” (3:5) and God said, “Therefore, wait for Me!” (3:8a). You never fail us, Lord, and we are waiting on bended knee!!
“The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you;
never again will you fear any harm. (Zep 3:15b)
The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves. (Zep 3:17a)
Thank you, Lord! My heart is uplifted to face the day and praise God for I know You are with me, You will not leave me, nor forsake me. (Heb 3:15) I sing with joy in my heart all the day long. You are my King, Messiah, the Lord of all! Blessings dear fellow saints!
We saw “Heaven is for Real” last night. It is a very moving movie. Would highly recommend that all of us watch it…
Blessings everyone!
Sounds good, David! We’ll check it out soon. Thanks!
I will pray for Jerusalem.
Peace to us all dear people..
Sometimes waiting for the promises of God to fulfilled corporately or as individuals is bit like waiting for a big pot of water to boil. The more you focus on outcome, the slower it seems to take, whence the saying, a watch pot never boils. But if you simply trust the nature of heat and water, knowing water will boil, when the time is right, and it will not fail to boil when that set temperature is reached, you can stop focusing on waiting and just do whenever else that can be done while waiting for the pot. Likewise, while we wait for God to fulfill His promises, we need to trust His nature, His cannot not keep His promise, it His nature to keep them, so don’t focus on the waiting, just do what can be done, while God does the rest.
What an encouragement from God’s promises and your blog David as well as from fellow saints. Also the history on the modern Hebrew language. William Morford has a Bible called, “One New Man Bible” a Study Bible in Greek and Hebrew. Take care everyone!
“From 1993 through 1999, Rev. William J. Morford studied Hebrew under Rabbi Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, grandson of the Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, whose lifetime work made Modern Hebrew the national language of Israel.”
William Morford was featured on Sis Roth program last Sunday. Thought it was interesting that you should mention this today, David. God bless everyone.
Dear Rev. David M.
Another fabulous teaching of Gods Precious Word. I am quite intrigued by todays picture where I noticed on the front of the broken wall some writing would love to know what it says. I am becoming a little bit like your guest this morning on 100 Huntley street who wrote a very interesting book Cold Case Christanity which can be bought at e store which I am looking forward to share with those that are skeptic of our Messiah Jesus and are looking for an answer.
Earlier this morning I was listening to Joyce Mayer and she left me with the saying that I want to share with each of you … GOD DOES NOT ALWAYS ANSWER WHAT WE WANT , BUT HE ALWAYS ANSWERS WHAT WE NEED. So Heavenly Father thank you for your Precious Son Jesus Christ who by His Ressurection and His Ascension, and GRACE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN US HAS SET US FREE, able and equipped to do Your Will until Your Return. Amen.
Iam leaving you all with the worship song God will make a way by the singer Don Moen.
Have a blessed day dear fellow saints.
xxxx Carole.
Here it is ….http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zo3fJYtS-o&feature=kp
Thanks Carole I love that song and always remind myself that “God will make a way!!”
Our key verse today reminds me how close The Lord always is and I can rest in His divine presence.
Thank you fellow saints for all you comments, and once again Pastor David for the history lesson and the knowledge that the Hebrew language was restored. Praying as God asks us for The Peace of Jerusalem.