…unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.[Matthew 18:3]
These words of our Lord refer to our initial conversion, but we should continue to turn to God as children, being continuously converted every day of our lives. If we trust in our own abilities, instead of God’s, we produce consequences for which God will hold us responsible. When God through His sovereignty brings us into new situations, we should immediately make sure that our natural life submits to the spiritual, obeying the orders of the Spirit of God. Just because we have responded properly in the past is no guarantee that we will do so again. The response of the natural to the spiritual should be continuous conversion, but this is where we so often refuse to be obedient. No matter what our situation is, the Spirit of God remains unchanged and His salvation unaltered. But we must “put on the new man…” (Ephesians 4:24). God holds us accountable every time we refuse to convert ourselves, and He sees our refusal as willful disobedience. Our natural life must not rule— God must rule in us.
To refuse to be continuously converted puts a stumbling block in the growth of our spiritual life. There are areas of self-will in our lives where our pride pours contempt on the throne of God and says, “I won’t submit.” We deify our independence and self-will and call them by the wrong name. What God sees as stubborn weakness, we call strength. There are whole areas of our lives that have not yet been brought into submission, and this can only be done by this continuous conversion. Slowly but surely we can claim the whole territory for the Spirit of God.
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WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS:
To read the Bible according to God’s providential order in your circumstances is the only way to read it, viz., in the blood and passion of personal life.[Disciples Indeed, 387 R]
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Matthew 18:3 and said, “Yes! I tell you that unless you change and become like little children, you won’t even enter the Kingdom of Heaven!
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Bible in One Year:
Bible in One Year:
Zechariah 5:1 Again I raised my eyes, and I saw in front of me a flying scroll. 2 He said to me, “What do you see?” I replied, “I see a flying scroll thirty feet long and fifteen feet wide. 3 Then he said to me, “This is the curse that goes out over the face of all the land; for [according to what is written] on one side, everyone who steals will be swept away; and [according to what is written] on the other side, everyone who swears will be swept away. 4 ‘I will release it,’ says Adonai-Tzva’ot, ‘and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of anyone who swears falsely by my name; it will stay there inside the house and consume it completely, even its timbers and stones.’”
5 Then the angel speaking with me went forward and said to me, “Now raise your eyes, and see what this thing is, passing by.” 6 I asked, “What is it?” He said, “This is the eifah-measure [a one-bushel dry-measure] passing by.” Then he added, “This is their eye in all the land.” 7 Next I saw a lead disc lifted up to reveal a woman sitting in the eifah. 8 He said, “This is Evil.” He threw her down into the eifah and pressed the lead weight over its opening. 9 I raised my eyes and saw two women coming with the wind in their wings; for they had wings like those of a stork. They lifted the eifah up between the earth and the sky. 10 I asked the angel speaking with me, “Where are they taking the eifah?” 11 He answered me, “To build it a shrine in the land of Shin‘ar. When it’s ready, [the eifah] will be set down there on its base.”
6:1 Again I raised my eyes, and I saw in front of me four chariots coming out from between two mountains, and the mountains were mountains of bronze. 2 The first chariot had red horses; the second chariot, black horses; 3 the third chariot, white horses; and the fourth chariot, spotted gray horses. 4 I asked the angel speaking with me, “What are these, my Lord?” 5 The angel answered me, “These are the four winds of the sky that go out, after presenting themselves before the Lord of all the land. 6 The one with the black horses is going out toward the land in the north, the white [horses] have gone out after them, and the spotted have gone out toward the land in the south.” 7 Then the gray ones went out and were seeking to go and wander throughout the whole earth, when he said, “Wander throughout the whole earth”; and they did wander throughout the whole earth. 8 Then he called out to me and said, “Look! The ones going to the land in the north have given my Spirit rest in the north country.”
9 This message from Adonai came to me: 10 “Take [gifts] from the exiles of Heldai, Toviyah, and Y’da‘yah, who have arrived from Bavel; then you, go to the house of Yoshiyah the son of Tz’fanyah. 11 Take silver and gold; make crowns; put one on the head of Y’hoshua the son of Y’hotzadak, the cohen hagadol; 12 and tell him, ‘Adonai-Tzva’ot says: “There is coming a man whose name is Tzemach [Sprout]. He will sprout up from his place and rebuild the temple of Adonai. 13 Yes, he will rebuild the temple of Adonai; and he will take up royal splendor, sitting and ruling from his throne. There will be a cohen before his throne; and they will accept each other’s advice in complete harmony. 14 The other crowns will be for Helem, Toviyah, Y’da‘yah and Hen the son of Tz’fanyah; then [they are to be kept] as a memorial in the temple of Adonai. 15 Those who are now far away will come and help rebuild the temple of Adonai.” Then you will know that it is Adonai-Tzva’ot who sent me to you. And it will all come about, provided you heed carefully what Adonai your God says.’”
7:1 In the fourth year of King Daryavesh, on the fourth day of the ninth month, Kislev, a message from Adonai came to Z’kharyah. 2 He sent Sar’etzer and Regem-Melekh with his men to Beit-El in order to ask Adonai’s favor, 3 as they inquired of the cohanim of the house of Adonai-Tzva’ot and the prophets, “Should we go into mourning and abstain from pleasure during the fifth month, as we have been doing for all these years?” 4 It was then that this message came to me from Adonai-Tzva’ot: 5 “Speak to all the people of the land and to the cohanim. Tell them, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months throughout these seventy years, were you really fasting for me? Was it for me? 6 Rather, when you eat and drink, it’s just to please yourselves, isn’t it? 7 Isn’t this just what Adonai proclaimed through the earlier prophets, when Yerushalayim was inhabited and prosperous, as were the cities around her; and the Negev and the Sh’felah were inhabited?’”
8 Then this message from Adonai came to Z’kharyah: 9 “In the past Adonai-Tzva’ot said, ‘Administer true justice. Let everyone show mercy and compassion to his brother. 10 Don’t oppress widows, orphans, foreigners or poor people. Don’t plot evil against each other.’ 11 But they wouldn’t listen, they stubbornly turned their shoulder away and stopped up their ears, so that they wouldn’t have to hear it. 12 Yes, they made their hearts as hard as a diamond, so that they wouldn’t hear the Torah and the messages that Adonai-Tzva’ot had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. This is why great anger came from Adonai-Tzva’ot; 13 and it came about that just as they hadn’t listened when he called, so Adonai-Tzva’ot said, ‘I won’t listen when they call; 14 but with the power of a whirlwind I will disperse them among all the nations which they have not known.’ Thus the land was left desolate after them, so that no one came or went. They had turned a pleasant land into a desert.”
8:1 A message came from Adonai-Tzva’ot: 2 “Adonai-Tzva’ot says, ‘I am extremely jealous on Tziyon’s behalf, and I am jealous for her with great fury.’ 3 Adonai says, ‘I am returning to Tziyon, and I will live in Yerushalayim. Then Yerushalayim will be called Truth City, Adonai-Tzva’ot’s Mountain, the Mountain of the Holy One. 4 Adonai-Tzva’ot says, ‘Old men and old women will once again sit in the open places of Yerushalayim, each one with his cane in his hand, because of their great age. 5 The city’s open places will also be full of boys and girls playing there.’ 6 Adonai-Tzva’ot says, ‘This may seem amazing to the survivors in those days, but must it also seem amazing to me?’ says Adonai-Tzva’ot. 7 Adonai-Tzva’ot says, ‘I will save my people from lands east and west; 8 I will bring them back, and they will live in Yerushalayim. They will be my people; and I will be their God, with faithfulness and justice.’
9 “Adonai-Tzva’ot says, ‘Take courage, you who are hearing only now, in these days, these words spoken by the prophets when the foundation was being laid for rebuilding the temple, the house of Adonai-Tzva’ot. 10 For prior to that time, there were wages neither for people nor for animals; moreover, it was unsafe for anyone to go out or come in, because of the enemy; for I set all people each against the other. 11 But from now on, I will not treat the remnant of this people as I did before,’ says Adonai-Tzva’ot. 12 ‘Now they will sow in peace, the vine will give its fruit, the ground will produce its yield, the sky will give its dew, and I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. 13 House of Y’hudah and house of Isra’el, just as you were formerly a curse among the nations, so now I will save you; and you will be a blessing. Don’t be afraid, but take courage!’
14 “For Adonai-Tzva’ot says, ‘Just as I resolved to do you harm when your forefathers provoked me,’ Adonai-Tzva’ot says, ‘and I did not relent; 15 so now, I resolve to do good to Yerushalayim and to the house of Y’hudah. Don’t be afraid! 16 These are the things you are to do: speak the truth to each other; in your courts, administer justice that is true and conducive to peace; 17 don’t plot harm against each other; and don’t love perjury; for all these are things I hate,’ says Adonai.”
18 This word of Adonai-Tzva’ot came to me: 19 “Adonai-Tzva’ot says, ‘The fast days of the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months are to become times of joy, gladness and cheer for the house of Y’hudah. Therefore, love truth and peace.’
20 “Adonai-Tzva’ot says, ‘In the future, peoples and inhabitants of many cities will come; 21 the inhabitants of one city will travel to another and say, “We must go to ask Adonai’s favor and consult Adonai-Tzva’ot. I’ll go too.” 22 Yes, many peoples and powerful nations will come to consult Adonai-Tzva’ot in Yerushalayim and to ask Adonai’s favor.’ 23 Adonai-Tzva’ot says, ‘When that time comes, ten men will take hold — speaking all the languages of the nations — will grab hold of the cloak of a Jew and say, “We want to go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.”’”
Revelation 19:1 After these things, I heard what sounded like the roar of a huge crowd in heaven, shouting,
“Halleluyah!
The victory, the glory, the power of our God!
2 For his judgments are true and just.
He has judged the great whore
who corrupted the earth with her whoring.
He has taken vengeance on her
who has the blood of his servants on her hands.”
3 And a second time they said,
“Halleluyah!
Her smoke goes up forever and ever!”
4 The twenty-four elders and the four living beings fell down and worshipped God, sitting on the throne, and said,
“Amen!
Halleluyah!”
5 A voice went out from the throne, saying,
“Praise our God, all you his servants,
you who fear him, small and great!”
6 Then I heard what sounded like the roar of a huge crowd, like the sound of rushing waters, like loud peals of thunder, saying,
“Halleluyah!
Adonai, God of heaven’s armies,[Revelation 19:6 Amos 3:13; 4:13]
has begun his reign!
7 “Let us rejoice and be glad!
Let us give him the glory!
For the time has come for the
wedding of the Lamb,
and his Bride has prepared herself —
8 fine linen, bright and clean
has been given her to wear.”
(“Fine linen” means the righteous deeds of God’s people.)
9 The angel said to me, “Write: ‘How blessed are those who have been invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb!’” Then he added, “These are God’s very words.” 10 I fell at his feet to worship him; but he said, “Don’t do that! I’m only a fellow-servant with you and your brothers who have the testimony of Yeshua. Worship God! For the testimony of Yeshua is the Spirit of prophecy.”
11 Next I saw heaven opened, and there before me was a white horse. Sitting on it was the one called Faithful and True, and it is in righteousness that he passes judgment and goes to battle. 12 His eyes were like a fiery flame, and on his head were many royal crowns. And he had a name written which no one knew but himself. 13 He was wearing a robe that had been soaked in blood, and the name by which he is called is, “THE WORD OF GOD.” 14 The armies of heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 And out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down nations — “He will rule them with a staff of iron.”[Revelation 19:15 Psalm 2:9] It is he who treads the winepress from which flows the wine of the furious rage of Adonai, God of heaven’s armies. 16 And on his robe and on his thigh he has a name written:
KING OF KINGS
AND
LORD OF LORDS.
17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out in a loud voice to all the birds that fly about in mid-heaven, “Come, gather together for the great feast God is giving, 18 to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of generals, the flesh of important men, the flesh of horses and their riders and the flesh of all kinds of people, free and slave, small and great!” 19 I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to do battle with the rider of the horse and his army. 20 But the beast was taken captive, and with it the false prophet who, in its presence, had done the miracles which he had used to deceive those who had received the mark of the beast and those who had worshipped his image. The beast and the false prophet were both thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 21 The rest were killed with the sword that goes out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.
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