Zechariah 2 - Good News! Release! Relief!

Good news! That's what chapter 2 of Zechariah is - Good News!

As I read this chapter, I was reminded of the vision of St. Teresa of Avila and her "Interior Mansion." What an awesome place this city of God is! In Zecharia, it is pictured as a city without walls. It doesn't need a wall because God, Himself, will be a wall of fire around it and He will be its glory within. (Zech 2:4,5)

And more... for all those who are oppressed - there will be relief - there will be release!

"For this is what the Lord Almighty says: 'After the Glorious One has sent me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye—  I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me.

Shout and be glad, Daughter Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you,' declares the Lord. ^'Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.'" (Zech 2:8-11 NIV)

God, indeed, has sent His only Son, born in a barn, died on a cross, raised from the grave, and ascended to the right hand of our Father, so that we might be free to live in His Awesome presence.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Psalm 73 - Evil Is Not To Be Envied! Live In The Light Of Christ!

Merry Christmas!  What a relief!  The light has come into the world. Somehow, every Advent, as well as Lent, the Holy Spirit wants to take me on a journey.  They are usually pretty tough journeys. This Advent has been quite a sorrowful journey as I have encountered people who are suffering as well as those who are busy inflicting suffering.

The Psalmist writes that he saw the prosperity of the wicked, that they have no struggles.  I assure you that struggles come to us all, rich or poor or in-between.  Evil has no preference. Evil does not discriminate. I definitely would advise against emulating the wicked so that you might be prosperous. Not, a good idea!

Yesterday, as I prepared for Worship, I noticed that my shoulders were hunched forward, as though they were trying to bear a heavy weight upon them.  I was tired. As the evening drew nearer, I thought of all the people I had spoken to, all that I had encountered this past four weeks and a heavy sadness came over me. I realized that I had taken in so much negativity; I had been in contact with so much evil, so much pain and suffering, some self-inflicted, some not, that I was, in part, feeling the weight of their burdens. It was exhausting. I certainly was not envying those who are arrogant or evil.  I was not thinking about how blessed others are.  I was thinking about how much sorrow and pain and suffering I have witnessed in the last month in both those who suffered as well as those who might cause others to suffer.  I was, also, thinking how blessed are those who know the LORD.  I assure you, the spirits of those who do not know the LORD and cause others to suffer, do not prosper.  They might look like it on the outside.  The world might see prosperity, but on the inside they are alone and afraid.  The darkness overwhelms them.

Do not envy those who appear to prosper and do not know the LORD.  Look, listen, open your hearts to a greater understanding of what it must be like to attempt to live in their world, without knowledge of the LORD.  Can you imagine living in darkness every minute, every day of your life?  When we do that, when we can begin to feel, just a little, of the pain that even our persecutor's might feel, we will then realize how blessed we truly are in the knowledge of God.  And... we might even learn to have a bit more empathy for those who are stuck in the darkness of their own sins. We might even learn to pray for our enemy!

Can you imagine living in darkness for perpetuity? That is the inheritance of those who would serve themselves rather than God. 

The good news is that the light has come into this world.  It is Christmas morning and we celebrate a little baby born in a manger in Bethlehem to be our Savior. 

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:1-3 NIV)

And...

"This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God." (John 3:19-21)

Let us pray that those who walk in the darkness will come into the light.

Merry Christmas!  Pr. J

Psalm 26 - Begging For Vindication

David seems to do a lot of begging for vindication.  I wonder if God gets as tired of hearing it as I do.  Chapter after chapter gets a little much.  But, I hope and trust that God never gets weary of hearing our pleas.  There have been times in my life (even now) that I  pray for vindication.  I just pray that the enemy would leave me alone already!

There are times when we try to work with people or help them and we find out in the end that they have no desire to be helped.  We find ourselves entangled as the Psalm says, with those whose hands have a sinister scheme, and whose right hand is full of bribes. (26:9-10 NIV) It is terribly saddening to find that one we would help has been planning all along to destroy us.  But, it happens.  It is an age old problem.  There really is nothing to do about it, but to stand firm in our faith. Trust the LORD.  As David prayed for relief, we might find ourselves praying:

Vindicate us, LORD.  Redeem us and be merciful to us. Keep our feet standing in on even ground; on a firm foundation. (vs 12)

God's Peace - Pr. J