Resource Manager Posted December 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2014 26 December 2014 Job 35; 36Zechariah 11Revelation 12; 13 "MY WORTHLESS SHEPHERD" Jesus is the good shepherd – and in this world of sin and death [Romans 5:12] how urgent it is to find and hear the voice of the good shepherd. There have been many shepherds over the Centuries that have been good up to a point; for example, David, Solomon, Elijah and Hezekiah – and in recent Centuries, men of the calibre of Tyndale may well qualify. But they have been far outnumbered by worthless shepherds – and sadly is that not just about totally the situation today? Our thoughts travelled along these lines today as we read Zechariah 11. Zechariah 11:12 has that intriguing reference to those “who weighed out my wages thirty pieces of silver.” Those who readily paid over the money to Judas Iscariot were extreme examples of worthless shepherds, totally blind to the “good shepherd”. The one who received the 30 pieces of silver was the worthless one among the 12 Jesus was training to be shepherds to take his place after he left the earth. Do such shepherds exist today? The final verse of Zechariah 11 says, “Woe to my worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock …” Tragically worthless shepherds think they are serving God – the scribes and Pharisees are outstanding examples of this. They have existed in every generation; John, in his old age, wrote of a church leader called Diotrephes (see 3 John 9-10) who was such a person and John adds, “whoever does evil has not seen God.” Our minds must have spiritual vision to “see” God. Doing evil starts in small ways, but whether small or not so small, there is a common factor says Jesus, “the world …. hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil.” [John 7:7] In contrast, those who constantly read and absorb God’s word, learn to be in awe of God, and so progressively develop an attitude that fits them to be seen by God and His Son as worthy shepherds, or as sheep that genuinely seek to “hear” his voice by daily reading his word. In the process of doing this they learn what it is to endure – a point which this brings us to our concluding thought in today’s chapter 13 of Revelation. Revelation 13:8 tells us of “the book of life” and those whose names are not written there. How tragic! But then comes the challenge - “If anyone has an ear, let him hear … here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.” [Revelation 13:10-11] And as we try to endure we can add a parallel thought, ‘if anyone has an eye, let him read’ and, as a result, really follow in the footsteps of the good shepherd. -------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted December 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 27, 2014 27 December 2014 Job 37Zechariah 12Revelation 14 "THEN I LOOKED ..." As we ponder our readings in Revelation, we conclude that it is somewhat like walking around a round house looking in at windows that give different aspects of largely the same scene. Revelation 14 starts, “Then I looked, and behold …” and John saw "144,000 ... follow the Lamb .... and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless." [Revelation 14:3-5] Always thinking and therefore speaking what is true is vital, one of the last points made in the final chapter is that, "Outside are ... the sexually immoral ... and everyone who loves and practices falsehood." [Revelation 22:15] Back in Revelation 14 we read how John sees an angel who is "saying, 'Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality'" [Revelation 14:8] Our world today is almost devoid of any morality, especially in sexual matters. And Babylon? It is most interesting that the Hebrew word for Babylon is 'Babel'! We know what God did to Babel and why! See Genesis 11:5-9. John sees a final angel, [Revelation 14:18-19] who "who has authority over the fire" and is told to "Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe" so he "gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God." [Revelation 14:18-19] Tomorrow in Revelation 15 we will read of the final plagues "for with them the wrath of God is finished." [Revelation 15:1] The world today totally ignores God, most do not think he even exists, surely most in our world deserve his wrath. Our Zechariah reading has a parallel message and is more specific as to events, we read of a time when God "will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. ... And all the nations of the earth will gather against it" [Zechariah 12:3] The climax of events is that "On that day the LORD will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem ..." [Zechariah 12:8] "And on that day (the LORD says) I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem" [Zechariah 12:9] The same as with John in Revelation we can, in a sense, say "Then I looked" - as we see the events in our world unfolding, especially in the Middle East. Soon, we anticipate, we will see the jigsaw pieces of prophecy more clearly fit into place and our anticipation of the return of our Lord will become intense. As a result, all those of us who possess the 'oil' of faith will make sure their lamps are full of oil - and they will brightly shine in the blackness of our world, but, as the saying is, ‘there is none so blind as those who cannot see’ – may we not be among them. -------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted December 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2014 28 December 2014 Job 38Zechariah 13; 14Revelation 15; 16 "BEHOLD A DAY IS COMING” Today’s reading of the last chapter of the prophet Zechariah starts with, “Behold a day is coming …” and our reading in Revelation contains the only verse in the Bible with the word ARMAGEDDON. False spirits (attitudes?) “… go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God Almighty. Behold I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake … and they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon” [Revelation 16:14-16] That word gets used in our Newspapers from time to time, sometimes in relation to climate change and the potential for more fearsome weather events. It was used in relation to the world-wide financial crisis in 2008, and which is still far from solved; some years ago the AAP reported ”In a new record, Australians now owe more in household debt that the country’s entire economy earns in a year” The world’s economy was revved up to work on massive spending continuously. This is the NOW generation, ‘we must have it NOW’ The crisis has been “solved” by Governments throwing a heap of largely borrowed money at the problem worse still, simply printing money, but as we start 2015, the USA will find it harder to raise money this way.. Of course, money is no longer gold and silver, which was its foundation, even a 100 years ago, indeed it was only in 1972 that the USA went off the ‘gold standard’. In one sense money is the “beast” which people worship. We note that a replica (image) of this beast arises and this chapter tells how harmful and painful sores (symbol of what?) “came upon those who bore the mark of the beast and worshipped its image.” [Revelation 16:2] Zechariah’s chapter also describes Armageddon without using the word! “Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations … the mount of Olives shall be split in two” [Zechariah 12:3-4] A world shaking earthquake occurs, see Revelation 16:18 “a great earthquake such as there has never been since man was on earth” But then, says Zechariah, “the LORD will be King over all the earth … then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship in King, the LORD of Hosts …” [Zechariah 12:9,16]. We have read almost the same in Revelation, “Who will not fear O Lord and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you for your righteous acts have been revealed.” [Revelation 15:4] “Behold a day is coming …” Blessed are those who are “awake” and ready for what God will cause to happen. See Revelation 16:15-------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted December 29, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 29, 2014 29 December 2014 Job 39Malachi 1Revelation 17; 18 "WHAT A WEARINESS" Today we started reading the last book of the Old Testament, '”The oracle of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi." It is a rebuke to Israel for their attitudes when they offer worship to the LORD. The plain lesson we learn is that if you offer worship to the LORD at all - you must offer it in a genuine spirit. Malachi tells them they "despise" the name of the LORD; and then ask, "How have we despised your name?" And the answer! "By offering polluted food upon my altar ... When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? ... I have no pleasure in you, says the LORD of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand" [Malachi 1:7,8,10] Surely our Lord has no pleasure today if he sees us attend services in a half-hearted fashion, 'I suppose I had better go' or the main reason for going is to see someone about something. Could the attitudes of some get so bad that the Lord 'hears' you think in your heart "what a weariness this is" [Malachi 1:13] If so, our attitude is no different to the worshippers of old who brought that which was "lame or sick" as their offering. However the chapter ends on a positive note with God's declaration, "I am a great King, says the LORD of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations." This is the vision of the long term future, but how close could the time now be when, as we read today in Revelation, God judges false and insincere worship and a challenging voice comes from heaven! This begins with a final appeal to those who really believe, "Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities." [Revelation 18:4-5] Our world has forgotten there is a God, being completely ignorant that the only God is the great Creator of all that exists. But God has not forgotten his creation! Today he is completing the final ingathering, let us be part of that ingathering, our attitude must be the opposite of "weariness" - remember what we read at the conclusion of Jude's letter last week! “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy …" What great joy awaits those who do not become weary. The ecclesia at Ephesus was commended because, “I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary.” [Revelation 2:3] May our Lord commend us for the same reason – but at the same time, the Ephesians are warned, “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first.” Does that warning apply to us in any way? Let us answer honestly.-------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted December 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 30 December 2014 Job 40Malachi 2Revelation 19; 20 "LET NONE OF YOU BE FAITHLESS" We continue reading Malachi and find that this final message of the Old Testament before Christ first appeared on the scene has words of exhortation for us. These apply to our time although they first applied, to some degree, before the Messiah was born. Malachi tells them, to "guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless ..." [Malachi 2:15] We are spiritually married to Christ and there is as greater need than ever today to "guard" ourselves and be faithful to our union with him. Malachi's chapter ends; "You have wearied the LORD ... by saying, "Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delights in them." Or by asking, "Where is the God of justice?" We see the similarities with today, most who believe there is a God only see him as a 'God of love' - not one who will soon deal with the near total ungodliness that surrounds us: and also with those who selectively read his words, watering it down to simply say - God is a God love - and give no thought to the words which state his anger at our godless word. Our Revelation reading dramatically describes this, John "saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war ... From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God ..." [Revelation 19:11,15] In these final days before the world in a sense sees "heaven opened" we must increase our efforts to "guard (y)ourselves" that none of us "be faithless" - our Malachi chapter tomorrow begins; "the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come" [Malachi 3:1] - the 2nd verse asking the question, "But who can endure the day of his coming..." [Malachi 3:2] Well, who will endure? All those who have heeded the call to "guard yourselves in your spirit” - by fully feeding their minds on God's word, appreciating from their hearts the reality of its meaning.-------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted December 31, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2014 31 December 2014 Job 41; 42Malachi 3; 4Revelation 21; 22 "BUT FOR YOU WHO FEAR MY NAME ..." We complete the year by reading the final 2 chapters in Job, Malachi & Revelation. We first note the conclusion of Job, "And the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning..." [Job 42:12] and then his condemnation of the friends, " for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has." [Job 42:7] Let us speak of God what is right, beginning with the wonder of his creation. A similar message emerges at the end of Malachi and Revelation - and also a fearsome description of the end for those who have turned their back on God! In Malachi we are told "the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble..." [Malachi 4:1] But for those who have found and maintained their walk in life on the narrow way Malachi is caused to write, "But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall." [Malachi 4:2] What an inspiring poetic description of the life to come for those who fear, i.e., are in awe of what God, the wondrous creator, must be! The words in the last chapter of Revelation are somewhat parallel; Jesus tells John, "Behold, I am coming soon ... to repay each one for what he has done ... Blessed are those who wash their robes, ( i.e. cleanse their character) so that they may have the right to the tree of life ..." [Revelation 22:12,14] In contrast , "Outside are the dogs ... the sexually immoral ... and everyone who loves and practices falsehood." [Revelation 22:15] In brief, those who do not fear God's name (his reputation) in any way; worst of all, the increasing number who believe there is a God at all. The chapter (& the Bible) ends, "The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen." How much do we need his grace - let us all fully appreciate this - the wonder of it all - the wonder that we ourselves are blessed to "see" the real meaning of life and will experience the wondrous and endless blessings coming for those who fear God’s name.-------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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