Never Lose Hope

 

It is a challenge to live a Christ cantered life in this world. People around you will throw stones at you for not leading worldly life. Worldly lives mean the one who knows Christ and live according to his carnal satisfaction. They will insult you and try to put you down in all ways. In Mathew 5: 11, Jesus teaches “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.” Christ is encouraging you not to be depressed because of the evil people do against you. In verse 12 he says, “Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you”. Yes, your reward will be great in heaven.

The people who are against the saints or the ones who live Christ centred life, are the ones who have never experienced Christ in life. They may know Jesus, but have never given their heart to Christ. So when you walk in Christ, others might not like your ways, but be confident that you are a child of God. “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him” 1 John 3: 1

Worldly people look at you to find out a loss or failure in your life. They will embarrass you and insult you taking the name of Jesus. But be confident and have hope and faith. In the book of Revelation, John saw people wearing white robe and were holding palm branches in their hands and were crying out loud – “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne and to the Lamb”. They were the one who had to go through all the tribulations in the earth. Revelation 7: 9-17. Just imagine yourself among them. Build faith accordingly and stand firm in the midst of loss and failures, when the evil point fingers at you. Never leave the faith and hope in Christ Jesus

In the life of David we see when he had to face the toughest time, he wrote in Psalm 34, “I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. I will glory in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice”

Let the Spirit of God encourage you, motivate you and provide you the faith and hope to have the same heart as that of king David and see yourself being with the Angels and Elders praising God in eternity.

The glorious Future - Zechariah

Zechariah is a book of revelation of the Old Testament. He was the prophet of restoration and glory. Born in Babylon, he was priest as well as prophet. Zechariah, whose name means “Jehovah remembers”, prophesied for three years. The glorious future rather than the sad present was his message.

In Zechariah 1 we find Judah still a remnant, Jerusalem far from restored the gentile nations at ease round about it (Zechariah 1:14-16). He pictured God’s love and care for his people. He was a prophet to the remnant of the Jews who returned from Babylon after the seventy years of captivity. He tried to tell the people one day the Messiah would come and God’s chosen people would rise into power. Zechariah does not condemn the people, but presents in glowing pictures the presence of God to strengthen and help. He especially encourages the governor, Zerubbabel, who was conscious of his own weakness (Zechariah 4:6-10). Zechariah foretells the saviour more than any other prophet except Isaiah.

The prophet, looking far into the future, saw Messiah of the days to come as one Person, but in two aspects. First, he saw him in humiliation and suffering, and again, in majesty and great glory. Of the Minor Prophets, Zechariah majors in visions (Zechariah 1:1-6). The visions are followed by a symbolic act of crowning the high priest (Zechariah 6:9-11). We find a committee from Bethel waiting on Zechariah to ask him if the national fasts should be kept (Zechariah 7-8). The Jews themselves had instituted these fasts. They had been used to fasting on their anniversary days. Zechariah warned them against cold formalism in their religious observances. He urges them to change their fasts into feasts of joy and be practical in their righteousness.

Zechariah 9 to 14 is full of promises of the coming Messiah and a worldwide kingdom. The prophet no longer pictures a city rebuilt on its foundations, but a glorious city whose wall is the Lord. It is not armed for war, but is a city filled with peace, for the Prince of Peace reigns. He shall come the first time as the lowly one, riding upon a clot, the foal of a donkey (Zechariah 9:9).

Chapter 11 reveals the shepherd who would seek to save Israel, but is rejected. He is sold for 30 pieces of silver, the price of a slave. This all foreshadowed Christ and his betrayal by Judas. Chapter 12 gives us the prophecy of the siege of Jerusalem by the Antichrist and his armies in the last days. Then we see the repentance of the Jews when they shall see him whom they have pierced. The foundation shall be opened to the house of David for sin and uncleanness (Zechariah 13:1). Then the return of the Messiah upon the Mount Olives, which shall cleave asunder by an earthquake (Zechariah 14:4), reminds us of the day when he left the earth at that same spot with the promise of his return (Acts 1:11). Finally he shall be King over the whole earth and all people shall be holy unto him (Zechariah 14:9-20).

We see prophet prophesying about a glorious future. But at the same time, we see about the fasting in chapters 7 and 8. I have seen people not eating non vegetarian foods at lent days. They claim they are on fast. They will be waiting for the Easter day. When the day comes, they will drink liquor as much they can and gets dunked. Don’t know why they fasted for the 40 days.

Fasting is only profitable as an outward sign of an inward confession of sin. Merely refraining from eating will never bring a blessing. God wants a humble and contrite heart. May God help you to understand his holiness and live a holy life, leaving all the worldly lusts to bring glory to the name of Christ Jesus.