12/23 Reading - Thoughts & Comments DX3

23-Dec Zechariah 7-8, Ephesians 3-4, Psalms 131-135, Proverbs 23

Zech 8:9-11 (NIV)9 This is what the Lord Almighty says: "You who now hear these words spoken by the prophets who were there when the foundation was laid for the house of the Lord Almighty, let your hands be strong so that the temple may be built. 10 Before that time there were no wages for man or beast. No one could go about his business safely because of his enemy, for I had turned every man against his neighbor. 11 But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as I did in the past," declares the Lord Almighty.


After a long, drawn out disciplinary session with Jerusalem over their blatant sin, rebellion, stiff necked behavior, and how they treated God's prophets who brought them warning, God relents from His anger and begins to turn back with jealousy and favor towards the "REMNANT" of people are are still alive.  He begins to literally speak to the next generation and tells them to NOT behave as their fore-fathers did.  He gives them instruction to build the temple, rather than to build their own houses.  He tells them that He will bring peace and safety to their nation so that their old men can sit in the streets with a cane, living to a ripe old age watching the children play.  He promised that businesses which formerly could not be built during the times of danger will now be built and will prosper.  He promises a time of great peace, joy, prosperity, and rebuilding.

I believe that this is a type and a shadow for our present day that we live in.  The nations of the world today are coming under the strong hand of judgment.  Times are changing, nations are being turned on their heads, old administrations are being shaken out and new ones are arising.  Evil and darkness seems to be very strong right now and people can't successfully built businesses in peace and safety.  The time we live in is so much like the times of God's disciplinary actions against Jerusalem.  I'm afraid that our time of discipline is far from being over because fallen man is flexing his arm and ability to save the day.  Mankind must come to an end of himself, humble himself before almighty God and cry out for mercy and salvation.  Until this happens, God will sit back and allow mankind to try fixing the world his own way.  Unfortunately, the life of sin, greed, hate, murder, revenge, anger, strife, division, and mockery will never build a successful world.  These core life evils are present in today's illicit, unbelieving politicians, business leaders, teachers, college professors, news media groups, Hollywood, etc.  There is literally a tsunami flood of hatred and evil that is sweeping the world at this time, and it's all part of the disciplinary action of God against rebellion and rejection of His ONE WAY to life and salvation.

This will subside. When it does, remember to come back to Zech. 7.  Don't forget this chapter because it IS the anti-thesis of what the world is suffering under now.  Good times, then bad times, then good times, then....   It all moves in rhythm just like your heart beat and your wake and sleep patterns.  The stock market goes up and then back down.  Mankind goes up in wealth, and then back down again.  It's  pretty simple rhythm that comes from natural life.

I want to bring this point up as a reminder.  When you give your heart and life to Christ, you leave the kingdom of up/down rhythm.  There is no more good day, bad day, ups and downs.  There is no "away from Christ, drawing near to Christ again lifestyle, and there is no revival or backsliding scenarios.  When you are BORN INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD, you are in - period.  You cannot be dragged away from Him, and you cannot be taken from His love.  Revelation says that the sun continually shines at His throne, and that the rainbow circling His throne is an everlasting circle, like a wedding ring.  There is no beginning or end - but CONTINUAL LIFE!

Therefore, these rhythms that we discussed concerning Zech. 1 - 7 are natural life rhythms that happen to people who are outside of God's Kingdom.  When a man rejects Christ or throws life under the bus for a supposed better way of life, he subjects himself to the earthly elements, and to the god of this world (SATAN) who loves to bring destructive rhythms against humanity.  A man outside of the kingdom is subject to ALL of the rhythms of life.  But a man who is in Christ is a person who has authority over the elements.  Jesus was sleeping in a boat that was about to capsize in a torrent of a storm.  The disciples, who were subject to, and under the authority of (they thought anyway) the storm and the sea, awoke Jesus and shouted, "Don't you care? We're all going to die!!"  Jesus woke up, stood up, and rebuked the storm and the sea.... "PEACE!  BE STILL!"  It all obeyed and quieted.  Under a calm sea, the men looked at Jesus (the kingdom man) and said, "My God, who is this man! Even the storm and the ocean obeyed his voice!!!"  WELCOME TO THE KINGDOM!      

Tomorrow Reading:
24-Dec Zechariah 9-10, Ephesians 5-6, Psalms 136-140, Proverbs 24