Habakkuk 2

Then the Lord replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay."

Thursday, May 9, 2013

What are you?


Thursday, May 09, 2013, 7:00 a.m. – the Lord Jesus woke me with this song:

He Keeps Me Singing / Luther B. Bridgers

There's within my heart a melody
Jesus whispers sweet and low:
Fear not, I am with thee, peace, be still,
In all of life's ebb and flow.

All my life was wrecked by sin and strife,
Discord filled my heart with pain;
Jesus swept across the broken strings,
Stirred the slumbering chords again.

Though sometimes he leads through waters deep,
Trials fall across the way,
Though sometimes the path seems rough and steep,
See his footprints all the way.

Soon he's coming back to welcome me
Far beyond the starry sky;
I shall wing my flight to worlds unknown;
I shall reign with him on high.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,
Sweetest name I know,
Fills my every longing,
Keeps me singing as I go.

Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Zechariah 4 (NIV):

Then the angel who talked with me returned and woke me up, like someone awakened from sleep. He asked me, “What do you see?”

I answered, “I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lamps on it, with seven channels to the lamps. Also there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.”

I asked the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?”

He answered, “Do you not know what these are?”

“No, my lord,” I replied.

So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.

What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground. Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of ‘God bless it! God bless it!’”

Then the word of the Lord came to me: “The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.

“Who dares despise the day of small things, since the seven eyes of the Lord that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone in the hand of Zerubbabel?”

Then I asked the angel, “What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand?”

Again I asked him, “What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?”

He replied, “Do you not know what these are?”

“No, my lord,” I said.

So he said, “These are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth.”

Our Salvation

In Zechariah 3 we have a picture of our salvation. Joshua, a symbol of Jesus Christ as our high priest, stood before the angel of the Lord, and Satan stood there to accuse him. He also stood there as our representative, taking upon him our sins. Jesus Christ’s death on the cross for our sins removed our “filthy garments” (our sins), and provided the way for us to have “new garments,” i.e. to be clothed in Christ’s righteousness. When we are clothed with Christ and his righteousness, we become kingdom priests to serve our Lord day and night. If we walk in obedience to Jesus Christ and we keep his commands, then we will be the Lord’s servants, and we will be used of him to bring others to faith in Jesus Christ.

Our Spiritual Walk

As we grow in Christ, and we live to serve him and to be his witnesses throughout the earth, Satan will accuse us, too, and we will face opposition, rejection and obstacles along the way. Yet, we should not let that discourage us, because Jesus has overcome all this. After all, it is not in our own strength or power that we are able to accomplish anything for God’s kingdom anyway, so we should not sweat it or allow fear to overtake us when we come up against “mountains” or we face much opposition, because God has it all worked out.

What are you, O mighty mountain? Before Christ you will become level ground!”

Nothing overtakes God/Jesus by surprise. No matter what we are going through, God knew in advance that this would take place, he allowed it, and he will bring good out of it. We just have to trust him, and we have to rest in Him and allow His Spirit to work in and through all our circumstances – all opposition of the enemy against what God has assigned us to do. If it is the Lord’s work, he will complete it according to his plans and purposes. Our job is just to obey, to trust, and to rest in our Lord to fulfill his purposes in and through our lives.

Small Things

To each of us God has assigned a task. He has given each of us a part in his body to fulfill. Yet, God does not evaluate us in the same manner in which man evaluates. Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart. Man judges by statistics, appearance, performance, what he esteems as valuable or worthwhile, and what is pleasing to mankind. So, what mankind may lift up, praise, honor and value may not be the same as what God raises up, esteems, values and honors. So, what we are doing in the body of Christ as God has assigned us each our tasks might seem small and insignificant to mankind, and we may even be despised and rejected of man, as was/is Jesus Christ. Yet, we should not allow man’s opinions, oppositions and/or evaluations of us to discourage and/or to dishearten us, because if we walk in the Spirit and we obey what God has given us to do, it is Jesus Christ who will complete it in us and through us, and it will not be us doing it anyway.

Two Olive Trees & Branches

The two olive trees symbolize the priestly and royal offices in God’s eternal kingdom. The two olive branches were represented here by Zerubbabel and Joshua, who represented these offices of king and priest, as well as they represented Jesus Christ, our King and Priest. Yet, we, the body of Christ, too, are kingdom priests to serve the Lord, and we will reign with Christ in his earthly kingdom. We are anointed of the Spirit of God to serve the Lord of all the earth, and we are the ones who have been given the task to take the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the world, making disciples (followers of Christ) of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey Christ’s commandments (see Mt. 28:19-20). The Spirit of God enabled Jesus Christ in his earthly ministry, and the Spirit of God within us will enable us to do all that God has assigned us to do, too, even despite mountains (obstacles) and opposition of our enemy. Amen!

God’ supply of love, mercy, kindness, strength, wisdom, power, understanding, perseverance, faithfulness, steadfastness, and the light of his truth and the fullness of his Spirit within us is unending. It will be a continuous supply for all we need to live for our Lord and to serve him every day, no matter what comes our way, or no matter what darts Satan may throw at us. We can keep going, because he will never leave us or forsake us, and nothing can separate us from his love – no hardship, famine, sword, rejections, persecutions, obstacles or mountains.

What are you, O mighty mountain? Before Christ you will become level ground!”

Nothing Can Separate Us / An Original Work / March 28, 2013

Based off Romans 8:28-39

Nothing can separate us
From Christ’s love now within us:
Not trouble, hardship, nor famine,
Nor danger, nor sword.
No, in all of these things
We are more than conquerors!

For your sake we face hardship.
We are sheep to be slaughtered.
I am convinced that death,
Nor life, nor anything else
Will separate us from
The love of God now in Christ.

What, then, shall we say to this?
God for us: who against us?
He who did not spare His Son
But gave Him for us all –
How will He not, with Him,
Graciously give us all things?

Who brings a charge against us?
God justifies His chosen.
Who is He that condemns?
Christ Jesus; died, rose again.
He’s at the right hand of God,
Interceding for us.


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