August 23rd, 2026 | The Forgotten Files - Zechariah | Mark Strickland

Devotional

Day 1: God’s Jealous Fire in the Dry Wood of Routine

When God’s presence breaks into stagnant seasons, it ignites more than comfort—it demands repentance. Like the Korean Pentecost of 1907, revival begins when holiness exposes hidden sins. Divine jealousy isn’t anger but fierce love refusing to share our hearts with lesser things. This fire purges pretense, making room for fresh passion. True renewal starts not with self-improvement plans but surrendered confession. [13:20]

“And the word of the LORD of hosts came, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath. Thus says the LORD: I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts, the holy mountain.’”
(Zechariah 8:1-3, ESV)

Reflection: What “dry routine” in your spiritual life might God be igniting with His jealous love? Is there a hidden compromise needing confession to make space for His fire?

Day 2: Pit Ponies and the Surprise of Shalom

Revival reshapes communities in unexpected ways. Like Welsh miners retraining pit ponies to gentle commands, God’s shalom heals systems broken by sin. This peace isn’t absence of conflict but the presence of right relationships—taverns closing for lack of customers, courts with empty dockets. True revival overflows personal experience to reorder shared life. [20:08]

“Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of great age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.”
(Zechariah 8:4-5, ESV)

Reflection: Where do you see “broken systems” in your circles (work, family, community)? How might your renewed walk with Christ become a seed of shalom there?

Day 3: Calloused Hands for the Unseen Harvest

Revival requires strength beyond momentary excitement. Like 16 believers planting 42 churches in 17 years, God sustains those who labor through spiritual droughts. Zechariah’s call to “let your hands be strong” reminds us that awakening isn’t a sprint but a generations-long relay. The temple gets built by those willing to sweat for what they’ll never fully see. [24:38]

“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Let your hands be strong, you who in these days have been hearing these words from the mouth of the prophets who were present on the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.’”
(Zechariah 8:9, ESV)

Reflection: What Kingdom work feels exhausting or unglamorous to you right now? How might God be calling you to strengthen your grip rather than let go?

Day 4: From Fasting to Feasting—When Rituals Crack Open

Empty religion dies when revival comes. Zechariah transforms mandatory fasts into voluntary feasts because joy erupts where duty once ruled. Like Sandy Creek’s skeptics turned preachers, true righteousness isn’t rule-keeping but relationship. God replaces performative rituals with infectious delight in His nearness. [30:52]

“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘The fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Judah seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace.’”
(Zechariah 8:19, ESV)

Reflection: Where has your faith become dutiful rather than delightful? What would it look like to trade one religious “should” for a spontaneous “get to” this week?

Day 5: Ten Strangers Clutching Your Sleeve

A revived church magnetizes the skeptical. Like teens filling Toronto’s Mel Lastman Square, God’s presence makes His people gravitational. Zechariah’s vision of foreigners grabbing Jewish robes mirrors the early church’s explosive growth—not through programs but undeniable “God-with-us” reality. Awakening turns pews into portals. [38:39]

“Thus says the LORD of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities. The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, ‘Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the LORD and to seek the LORD of hosts; I myself am going.’”
(Zechariah 8:20-21, ESV)

Reflection: Who in your life is “watching your robe”—quietly curious about God’s work in you? How could you intentionally walk beside them toward Christ this month?

Sermon Summary

Renewal, revival, and awakening carry deeper meaning than normal everyday words. Renewal is personal rejuvenation in faith. Revival is God waking up an existing church, where sin gets confessed, worship gets alive, and the presence of God becomes obvious. Awakening is revival spilling over the walls, where unbelievers get convicted, come to Jesus, and even whole communities begin to change.

Zechariah tells the story of revival among the people of Israel. Zechariah stands with Haggai in the days when the exiles had come home, laid the temple foundation, and then left the work unfinished. Zechariah’s vision stretches across the now dimension, where God calls his people to repentance, the cross dimension, where the humble king, the good shepherd, and the pierced one point to Jesus, and the future hope dimension, where evil is finally defeated and living water flows under God’s perfect reign.

Zechariah 8 shows what revival looks like. God rekindles his passionate presence first. Revival does not start with human excitement. The Lord draws near, and when the Lord draws near, repentance comes. The image of the iron says it plainly: the power has to be plugged in, but brokenness and hidden sin still have to be dealt with.

The Lord also restores true shalom. Zechariah pictures old men and women sitting safely in the streets and boys and girls playing freely. Shalom is more than calm feelings. Shalom is when all is right, when God’s peace begins to touch the streets, the courts, the taverns, the workplaces, and even the way rough miners speak to their pit ponies.

Zechariah also says, “Let your hands be strong.” Revival is beautiful, but it is not light work. The Lord sustains his people, but the work asks for strong hands, disrupted schedules, serious prayer, messy discipleship, and an all-in kind of life.

Righteousness and joy then replace empty ritual. Fasts become feasts. Truth, justice, peace, and God-honoring lives become visible. Finally, the kingdom becomes magnetically attractive. Zechariah pictures people grabbing hold and saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” A revived church makes God visible to an unbelieving world.

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Key Takeaways

1. Revival begins with God’s presence God draws close before people ever wake themselves up. Repentance is not a cold religious duty, but the first honest response to divine holiness pressing near. Hidden sin cannot be managed around or covered with spiritual activity, because a plugged-in iron still will not work if something inside is broken. [13:20]
2. Repentance cracks open the atmosphere The Korean Pentecost shows how one honest confession can break the dam of spiritual dryness. Kill Sonju’s public repentance did not create revival by human drama, but it removed the obstruction that had been grieving God’s blessing. True confession makes room for holiness, and holiness often comes with tears before it comes with joy. [16:15]
3. Shalom reaches ordinary places Zechariah’s picture of old people resting and children playing shows peace becoming public, visible, and embodied. The Welsh revival did not stay inside services, because courts emptied, taverns closed, and workplaces changed. When God restores shalom, even the rough edges of daily life begin to sound different. [19:39]
4. Strong hands steward revival Revival sounds exciting until the cost becomes real. Zechariah’s call to “let your hands be strong” names the weight of rebuilding, discipling, praying, and staying faithful when glory becomes demanding. A move of God is not an emotional experience to consume, but a holy responsibility to carry. [28:30]
5. God’s presence becomes magnetic Zechariah imagines outsiders grabbing hold and saying, “Let us go with you.” The church does not become attractive by trying to look impressive, but by becoming a place where God is clearly with his people. Awakening happens when believers, skeptics, and everyone in between can no longer ignore the Lord’s nearness.

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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:10] - Renewal, Revival, and Awakening
[04:30] - Zechariah as a Story of Revival
[06:24] - The Day of the Lord in Zechariah
[11:16] - A Revived Church Makes God Visible
[12:33] - God Rekindles His Passionate Presence
[15:33] - The Korean Pentecost and Confession
[19:39] - The Lord Restores True Shalom
[21:52] - The Welsh Revival’s Public Peace
[23:52] - Strong Hands for the Work
[26:30] - The Cost of Revival
[29:57] - Righteousness and Joy Replace Ritual
[33:36] - The Kingdom Becomes Magnetically Attractive
[38:39] - Sparks of Revival at Milton Bible Church
[41:16] - A Prayer for Awakening

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Zechariah 8
And the word of the LORD of hosts came, saying, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: I am jealous for Zion with great jealousy, and I am jealous for her with great wrath. Thus says the LORD: I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts, the holy mountain. Thus says the LORD of hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of great age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. Thus says the LORD of hosts: If it is marvelous in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvelous in my sight, declares the LORD of hosts? Thus says the LORD of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country, and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness.” Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Let your hands be strong, you who in these days have been hearing these words from the mouth of the prophets who were present on the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built. For before those days there was no wage for man or any wage for beast, neither was there any safety from the foe for him who went out or came in, for I set every man against his neighbor. But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in the former days, declares the LORD of hosts. For there shall be a sowing of peace. The vine shall give its fruit, and the ground shall give its produce, and the heavens shall give their dew. And I will cause the remnant of this people to possess all these things. And as you have been a byword of cursing among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you shall be a blessing. Fear not, but let your hands be strong.” For thus says the LORD of hosts: “As I purposed to bring disaster to you when your fathers provoked me to wrath, and I did not relent, says the LORD of hosts, so again have I purposed in these days to bring good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; fear not. These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the LORD.” And the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: The fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Judah seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace.” Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities. The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, ‘Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the LORD and to seek the LORD of hosts; I myself am going.’ Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the LORD. Thus says the LORD of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’” [12:49]

Zechariah 12:10
“And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.” [09:32]

Ezra 5:1-2
Now the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel who was over them. Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak arose and began to rebuild the house of God that is in Jerusalem, and the prophets of God were with them, supporting them. [05:12]

Observation questions

In Zechariah 8, what words or images show that revival begins with God drawing near rather than people stirring themselves up? [13:20]
What pictures in Zechariah 8 describe shalom becoming visible in public life, not just private feelings?
In Zechariah 8:9-13, what repeated command is given to the people, and what kind of work were they being called back to do? [23:41]
In Zechariah 8:16-19, what specific behaviors replace empty ritual when God restores his people? [29:57]

Interpretation questions

Zechariah 8 opens with God saying, “I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.” Why does God’s presence seem to come before repentance, strength, and visible blessing? [13:20]
Zechariah 12:10 connects grace, mourning, and looking on the pierced one. Why do grace and deep repentance belong together instead of opposing each other? [09:32]
Zechariah’s picture of shalom includes old people sitting safely and children playing openly in the streets. What does that suggest about the kind of peace God wants to bring, and how is that bigger than a calm church service? [20:05]
Zechariah says, “Let your hands be strong,” while also promising that God will sustain his people. How do those two truths fit together in real life when the work of following Christ becomes costly? [28:30]

Application questions

Revival begins with God’s presence, but hidden sin still has to be brought into the light. Is there anything being covered, minimized, or postponed before God right now? What would honest repentance actually look like this week? [14:33]
Shalom reaches streets, workplaces, and ordinary relationships. Where does peace most need to break into daily life right now: at home, at work, in speech, in conflict, or in habits that have become rough and careless? [22:50]
“Let your hands be strong” means spiritual life is not light work. Where does faithfulness feel costly right now? Is it prayer, rebuilding trust, serving tired, discipling someone messy, or staying steady when life is full? [27:38]
God tells his people to speak truth, do justice, make for peace, and refuse evil in the heart. Which of those feels most needed right now in personal relationships, and why? [29:57]
Empty ritual can be replaced by righteousness and joy. Has faith lately felt more like going through motions than walking closely with God? What might need to change for joy and obedience to grow together again? [30:36]
The kingdom becomes magnetically attractive when people can tell that God is truly with his people. What would make Christian life more visibly real to unbelieving friends, neighbors, or coworkers in this season? [33:56]
Zechariah ends with outsiders saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” Who in everyday life might be more open to God than first assumed, and what would it look like to invite that person to come along and seek the Lord? [34:08]

Sermon Clips

42s

#DealWithSin

“But here's the thing, have you ever had a product like an iron that's broken, that has defects on it? That like, you know, the trigger doesn't work or it doesn't heat up or whatever. Doesn't matter how much power or how much plugged in it it's there. If there's something wrong with the iron, it's not gonna work. That's how it is in renewal. If you have sin that's unrepented in your heart that you're just living with and it's there, it doesn't matter how plugged in you are, it doesn't matter what worship service you go to and you sense God's presence and all that, you have to deal with the sin or you're not gonna experience the renewal that God has for you.”

48s

#GodSizedVision

“A prayer I've always tried to maintain is that I would seek to have a God sized vision. That if I could think that I could do it in my own human strength or cunning, I'm not very smart by the way, but if I could do it in my own cunning, then that's a man sized vision. You don't need room for God to do the impossible, and I wanna see God do the impossible. I don't know about you. If God can save a 100,000 people in a nation of 2,000,000, why couldn't he save 7,500 people in a city of a 150,000? The best problem Milton, the best problem Halton, the best problem Peel, and these other regions that we come from could have is that we don't have enough space in our churches for all those who are coming to Christ.”

43s

#FaithIsWork

“Sometimes we, I think, we we sell the gospel in a way that is easy because it's true. It's all it takes to follow Jesus is to say, Jesus, come into my life, forgive my sin. I wanna live for you. But I think with the ease of that, we we forget to tell people it's not always easy walking the life of faith. Right? God's constantly refining us, growing us, stretching us. We're constantly being tempted towards sin. There's a a work in our faith that has to happen, and we invite God obviously into that and the Holy Spirit into that, but it's not always easy. Our hands must be strong for the things God's called us to.”

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August 23rd, 2026 | The Forgotten Files - Zechariah | Mark Strickland | MBC Online