Marks That Verify Our Redemption

Zechariah 3:8-10---Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH. For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbor under the vine and under the fig tree.

Those who were seated there are said to be symbolic of things to come. I believe these are the patriarchs and types and shadows of Christ in the Old Testament. They are symbolic of the things to come, God's servant the Branch. Later on, Joshua is called the Branch, because he does become symbolic of the Branch to come. This reference is to the reality, Jesus. See Isaiah 11:1; Jeremiah 33:15. The true Branch is a descendant of David of the tribe of Judah. This man, Joshua, is a priest and therefore of the tribe of Levi. If he walked in the ways of the Lord, Joshua would join this group of men whose lives were a foreshadowing of Jesus. The stone, Jesus, is referred to as the rock, the rock of offense, the cornerstone, and the capstone. Rock is something solid that remains. In Revelation chapter 1, John sees the seven spirits of God before the throne. There are seven eyes upon this rock in front of Joshua. In several ways, we see Jesus in this rock. And the LORD Almighty says He will (future tense) engrave an inscription on it and remove the sins of the land in one day. When were the sins of a nation ever removed in one day? Good Friday! And what was the inscription on the rock? What marks on the rock have to do with our salvation? Isaiah 53 tells us, "Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him and afflicted." They are strikes of the Engravers tool on the rock.

Shout For Joy!

Zechariah 2:10-11--- Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD. And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee.

As Jesus rode down into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, the religious leaders asked him to quiet the shouting crowds. They were asking for this prophecy to not be fulfilled. That is why Jesus said that if they were quiet the rocks would cry out. The word will be fulfilled in spite of what man does. Why are we to shout and be glad? JHWH (Jehovah) has come to live among us. Not only did the Word become flesh and walk among us, but now He has come to live in our very hearts. Where Christ is there is joy! Many of our churches are altogether too quiet! There is definitely a place for reverential quiet as is mentioned in the following verses, but there is a place for a shout of joy also. Think about it! God has come to live in you! He has redeemed you and invites you to fellowship with Him. He will guide you each day and direct your paths. Wahoo! Perhaps one reason unbelievers have a hard time believing us is that the fantastic story we tell them does not match our expression. Verse 11 tells of the wonder of the Gentiles becoming the people of God. In the first days of the new church, this was still interpreted as Gentiles converting to Judaism. It took years before they realized this meant a personal relationship between the Gentile believer and JHWH. I will live among you and you will know... Is the first "I will live among you" the incarnation, and the second the infilling of the Holy Spirit? Certainly, when we are filled with the Spirit, we know that the JHWH Tsaba has sent Jesus to us. Do you know the Eternal God of the Armies of Heaven has sent Jesus in the form of the Holy Spirit to you?

Are You Ignoring The Powerful Hand of God?

Haggai 1:4-6---- Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house lie waste? Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways. Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm, and he that earneth wages earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.

The Lord says that the circumstances in our life are His call for us to consider our ways. If there is a lack of blessing or provision, then there is something we need to think about. There is some reason. That reason is often to have us consider the condition of our heart. After the exiles returned, they rebuilt the altar and the foundation of the temple. Then the enemy attacked with accusations. The people moved their efforts to their own homes. They got comfortable in this switch of emphasis, so God gave them some discomfort. It reminded them that they had forgotten their original focus. Problems in life should cause us to seek God. They should call us to give attention to what God is saying to us. It is the faithfulness of God to get us back on track. Do you see circumstances as a natural set of occurrences, coincidences? 'Coincidence' merely means that two events coincided. The question of why they coincided remains. If your god is small, he had nothing to do with it. If your God is the Sovereign Lord of all, He, at least, allowed it for a reason. Jesus taught something very similar to Haggai's message. "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:33 Give careful thought to your ways.

Do I Value My Great God Like He Values Me?

Zephaniah 3:17---The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

There is a need within the heart of man to be appreciated and valued. That is why the one requirement God places on a wife is to respect her husband and for the husband to love his wife. We desperately need that respect. Though these words were spoken from God to the Jewish people, all of God's children can claim them. In Christ, we are His children, and God is delighted with us. Imagine that! Just like you are delighted with your children, or someone who is very dear to you, God delights in us. Your parents probably took great delight in you when you accomplished something. God takes great delight in you because Jesus accomplished something for you and you accepted it. When God sees you, He sees the accomplishments of Jesus. Think how delighted that makes His heart. He is so delighted in you that He breaks out in song. Have you ever done that? Were you so delighted in someone you loved that you threw together a song that just came bubbling up from your heart? Think about God feeling that way about you! Whenever we feel unappreciated, a lack of respect and a lack of value placed on who we are, we need to remember these words. Of all those we could be valued by, wouldn't you most want God to value you? He does. That should still our hearts.

Finding Grace In The Eyes Of God

Genesis 6:8-9---But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

In that world filled with violence, where the man had corrupted all their ways, there was one man who dared to be different. Noah did not go with the flow of the world around him. He found favor (KJV 'grace') in the eyes of God. How could he do that? Just as Abel before him, he looked to the promise of a Deliverer and by faith believed that God would provide a way for him to be right with God. He leaned on the grace of God and not his own good works. The author of Hebrews tells us Noah "became the heir of the righteousness that comes by faith." That is the reason he could be considered righteous. That trust in God was translated into a lifestyle of obedience to God. Then we have that wonderful expression that says, "He walked with God." Adam had walked with God in the Garden of Eden. Enoch, Noah's great-grandfather, walked with God and was translated into heaven. And now, this man Noah had found a way, by grace, back into the wonder of living communion with God. Because he walked with God, he was blameless among the people. This is the call of God to everyone, to walk with Him, to live in communion with Him. When we do that, we get God's perspective on our situations and choices. We walk by faith and not by sight. We have a sense of reality that the world around us does not have. The product of living in that heavenly perspective is a life blameless among the people of our time.

Guard You Heart

Genesis 6:5-6---The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.

'Nacham' means comforting sorrow, regret, pity. That describes God's heart over man's condition in that day. Seeing man choose sin and its destructiveness, grieved the heart of God. It 'atsab' (pained or vexed) God's heart to see our choices. Something had to be done to stop man from torturing himself and his fellow man (vs. 11). A cleansing of the earth had to take place. I have the same feeling, to a degree, when I must spank my children. I cry and hurt with them, but I know it will be better for us all in the future. This verse reveals the heart of God against sin and what it does to us through our own choices. God does things that He knows will be painful to Him and to His creation at times but with a good end in mind. Sin had mastered most of mankind, like it mastered Cain. God works to bring about the least amount of pain within the boundaries of His justice. He works with this end in mind, bringing many sons to glory. The flood came to spare mankind from themselves. At times, we question God's justice, but we can always be sure that His heart is for man, who is made in His image. It was with a grieved heart full of pain that He directed Noah to build the ark. It will be with a grieved heart that the next great purging of the earth takes place by fire (2 Peter 3:7-12) under similar conditions among mankind. We are watching the rapid erosion of man's thoughts and inclinations. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24:37

Let The Lord Be Your Shepherd

Micah 5:2, 4-5a---"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. 5aAnd he will be their peace.

When the Magi came to Jerusalem to ask where the Great King would be born, those who studied the prophesies quoted this verse. They knew the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Perhaps they thought His ancient origins were in David, or even further back in Abraham. They may have even pondered that His origins were in the King of Salem, Melchizadek, who met with Abraham. But did they guess that His origins were even before time began? He was predicted to stand and shepherd His flock in the strength of the LORD. He had certainly brought them spiritual food and drink. (John 6) His answers and miracles showed Him to be standing in the strength of the LORD. The prophecy goes on to say that He would shepherd in the name of the LORD. That means shepherding with the authority of Jehovah. The religious leaders were often asking Him what authority He claimed when He spoke and acted as He did. He not only represented God, He is God! They will live securely. “Do not fear those who can kill the body, but fear Him who can cast both body and soul into hell." Jesus brought a security that went beyond the physical. He has freed us from the second death and the slavery of sin in this life. His greatness has reached the ends of the earth. He is our peace with God. He has given us His own peace.

The Shepherd and His Sheep

The Shepherd and His Sheep

Psalm 23:4

Introduction: In verse 4 we see the deepest of all dark places, the valley of the shadow of death.

A. THE PLACE

YEA THOUGH I WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH

1. Death for the Child of God, the Believer Is Gain

Philippians 1:21---For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

2^nd Corinthians 5:8—We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

2. A valley is a Deep Ravine or Gorge

It could be a valley of sickness, a valley of financial loss, a valley of disgrace and dishonor. A valley of bereavement, a valley of age, or as David refers to it here a valley of the shadow of death.

3. There are Three Causes of Death for the Child of God

     1. The Believers Work is Finished

2^nd Timothy 4:6---For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.

      2. Divine Discipline

1^st Corinthians 11:30---For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep.

      3. Glorify God

Philippians 1:20---According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.

4. We Are Not To Fear Shadows

Dying is a shadow, the shadow of a dog can’t bite you.

The shadow of death can’t separate the believer from life.

Remember no matter how dark the shadow it is only a reminder of the presence of the light. You can’t have a shadow without a light.

What do we choose to focus on? The shadow or the light! Jesus Is The LIGHT!

B. THE PEACE

I WILL FEAR NO EVIL FOR THOUGH ART WITH ME

1. The Great Shepherd Will Never Forsake Us

When we are weak----example, Paul’s thorn in the flesh

When we are weary----Jesus says come unto Me

When others forsake us---The Lord will never leave you

The Instruments that Settles The Sheep

1. The presence of the shepherd

2. Rod

3. Staff

The rod speaks of authority the staff speaks of aid

The rod is for defense the staff is for direction

The rod is used to rule the staff is used for restoration

The rod is used for enemies the staff for the sheep

The rod governs the staff guides

God’s staff keeps me straight, His rod keeps me safe

The rod and the staff is a type of God’s Word.

2^nd Timothy 3:16---All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

Closing;

The shepherd provides comfort for His sheep in the midst of this dark valley. How?

HE LIGHTS IT UP WITH HIS PRESENCE.

Satisfaction Is Found In God Alone

Genesis 3:6---And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

In 1 John 2:15-17, John wrote that the world consists of the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. When Satan was able to get Eve to question God, she looked at the fruit. The child of God is to walk by faith and not by sight. We are to see in the spiritual realm with our spiritual eyes what is eternal and not be tricked by what we see in the physical. It looked good for food. Was it? As good as death! But she allowed her eyes to deceive her, instead of trusting in what God had said. The fruit looked like it could satisfy her natural desires. The world never really satisfies. We often think it can fill the void within, but it leaves us hungrier than before. Like all addictions, there is some satisfaction, but you need to constantly increase the quantity of money, drugs, food, sex or whatever it is you are seeking to fill your emptiness. Finally, that excess ends in an empty death. The void within us can only be filled by the eternal, infinite God. She thought it would make her wise. There is a grain of truth in Satan's lies. She would know what it was to rebel against God, to feel remorse, to be separated from His presence, to fear His justice. These three weaknesses that both this story and the Apostle John described are with us today as much as ever. Recognize them! They are of the world. The world and its lusts pass away, but he who does the will of His Father lives forever.

In Christ I Have Every Good Thing

Genesis 3:1---Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye, shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

That old serpent, the Devil, is the craftiest of all the creatures God has made. But the Scriptures tell us we are not ignorant of his devices. We see several of them right here in his first attack on mankind. First, he went to the woman. The authority over the woman was to be the man. She was made to assist the man. The enemy of our souls never goes to the proper authority. He challenges legitimate authority. See him challenging what God has said. "Did God really say...?" as if you misunderstood God. In most cases, our first impression of what God said is absolutely correct. When we get down to examining the words to twist them, to get our way, we are headed in the Devil's direction. What was your first impression of what God said? Then don't mess with it to satisfy your desires! Satan always sees the glass half-empty. Here they are in a garden in which every need is supplied. If anyone ever had every need met, it was Eve. Satan always points to something you supposedly don't have. Child of God, in Jesus you lack no good thing. If you don't have it, you don't need it, or God will give it to you in His perfect time. Satan's picture of God is always the opposite of who He really is. Satan would paint God to be a miserly, selfish, demanding taskmaster when in reality He is the opposite of all those things. You see, Satan's goal is to make you think God is like him. Subversion of authority, distortion of His Word, and dissatisfaction with God's character and provision in your life are Satan's first lines of attack. Don't fall for it.

Being A Helper

Genesis 2:18--- And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him.

A man was not meant to be a hermit. A solitary condition is not good. God designed Eve as a helper suitable for Adam. That is God's plan and God's intention for women. I can hear the howls of derision from those with secular minds. The Biblical view of a helper is a team member, not a slave. What they accomplish together is their accomplishment and not his alone. He must share the glory with his helper. In the upside-down world of the Kingdom, the servant is the greatest. They need each other and are incomplete without each other. The spiritual picture here is of Christ and the church. We were made new creatures from the blood that flowed from His side, just as Eve was made from the blood flowing from Adam's side. We are to be His helper. That is why He calls us co-laborers. It is not as though He could not do it by Himself, but that He wants to include us in what He is doing. He wants to share His work with us for our benefit. It is not good for us to be alone. We need to be at His side, laboring with Him for His glory. Genesis 2:24---For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. We are to be joined to Him so that all other attachments are a distant second. Does that describe your relationship with the groom, Christ Jesus? By His Spirit, are you a suitable helper for Him?

What God Makes Is Good

Genesis 1:31---And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

God made everything very good because He is good. The psalmist tells us, You are good, and what you do is good; Psalms 119:68. Man was placed in a perfect environment with all that he could possibly need. Evil did come into the world and ruin this ideal setting. When we deliberately block the light, there is darkness. The darkness is not a thing in itself, but the absence of light. In our world, man is all too ready to blame God for the darkness, for evil. But we see that, from the beginning, all God made was very good. If we recognize that good is from God and the evil (darkness in the world) is the result of turning from Him, we would not be so quick to blame God. How it would change our attitude toward our daily circumstances if we believed God's intentions and plans for us are good! If we truly believe that, we would strive to be in the Light and walk in His plans for us. How is it that we are so easily led to think that we have a better idea or plan for our lives than God's? Are you avoiding some good thing God has for you? It is not always easy, but it is good, very good. Enjoy the good things of creation in moderation, and live in all the good that He has planned for you. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

Are You A Child Of Light?

Genesis 1:3-4---And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

In the beginning, God... and the Spirit of God... and God said (the Word of God). Right in the first three verses, we have God the Father, the Holy Spirit, and the Son. God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. We can understand the eternal Godhead by what we see in creation. Wherever the light goes, the darkness flees. God has always had an illustration of those which are His, separated from the darkness. Ephesians 5:8 (NIV) For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light. The Scriptures call us children of the light, of the day and not of the night. Those who love truth come to the light. They come so that the darkness in them will flee and every space will be filled with light. Is every area of your life open to the Light? Do you readily come to the Light to be sure that there is no darkness in you? Allow the Lord access to every area of your life so that you may be full of light. We are in the world but not of the world. If we are filled with light, we should be causing the darkness around us to flee, not being overcome by the darkness. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21 KJV)

God Brings Order To Things

Genesis 1:2---And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

God takes things from disorder to order. He does so in our lives too, if we will let Him. As God began working with the formless matter, the Spirit hovered or brooded over the waters. In Revelation, we see that waters can represent people. If we think of this passage in a figurative sense, we see the Spirit of God like a mother hen brooding over the people of the world, trying to keep them from the predator. It is under the cover of darkness that predator’s attack, so the Spirit covers and protects us. Then God sends His Light into the world. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. Genesis 1:3 (NIV) John the Beloved told us in the first chapter of his gospel that Jesus was the Light that lights every man that comes into the world. He shined in the darkness but the darkness did not understand. Do you understand that the Light has shined upon you? What will you do with that Light? The Holy Spirit has hovered over you, too. John went on to say that His own did not receive Him, but as many as did receive Him He gave the power to be sons of God. Receive Him and all that He should be to you today! Let Him bring order to the formlessness and emptiness of your life.

Our World, A Gift From God

Genesis 1:1---In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

In the beginning God... The Bible doesn't argue the existence of God. It does declare that it is the fool who says there is no God. (Psalm 14:1) The very first verse of the Bible begins with His action related to man, the creation of space and matter. That is the logical starting point of creation for an unchanging, eternal God. The Bible is a declaration of who God is and His relationship to His creation, man. This first verse tells us that God is before all things and the source of all things. The fact that He alone is responsible for all things should cause us to see that we owe our existence to Him. He is the ultimate standard for what is right and appropriate, for He is the source of all. Have you bowed your head to the One who gave you life and acknowledged that you owe your all to Him? Are you living in the recognition of the fact that "In the beginning God..."? What should that mean to you today and every day? Take a moment to think of the One who inhabits eternity before space was spoken into existence. He brought it into being to create a place for you. He didn't need to. He wanted to. Do you want to know Him?