Being Used of God

In Luke 1, Gabriel comes to Zechariah to announce that he will be a father.  However, in Luke 1:18, it says that “Zechariah asked the angel, ‘How can I be sure of this?  I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.’”  Now Zechariah was a priest, so of course he would have known about their past.  He would have known about Abraham and how Abraham question God when God told him that he would have a son.  So why did he question Gabriel?  Even after everything he knows about who God is, and what he has done for his people.

If I were to put myself in his shoes, I probably would have said it as an excuse.  I’m old, and I really don’t want to be raising a child at my age.  It will be at least 20 years before he is out of here, my son is not going to want parents old enough to be his grandparents to be at his graduation, etc.  Plus, all the extra running around Zechariah will be doing for his son.  All the sports games he will have to go to, the prom, etc. 

Actually, I’m poking fun, but that could have be a legitimate excuse that he used.  Maybe he didn’t want to be a parent at that age, or maybe he felt he was too old to be a parent.  Whatever the reason was, God proved his point, by taking away Zechariah’s ability to speak until he would have a son.  God wanted to use Zechariah and his wife, weather they thought they were ready or not.

Just like people today.  God may want to use us for something in particular, and we may not feel that we are adequately suited for the job, and not want to do it.  But, if God wants to use us, then we should be willing to be used.  We should pray that we be open to God moving in our lives and directing us to do whatever his will is.  Even if it is something we want to do or not.

 

Dying to Self or Living for Self

Mark 13:36-37

36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!'”

NIV

When is Jesus going to be coming?  That is the question.  It even says in verse 32 of that same chapter, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”  Jesus does not even know!  Which begs the question, why doesn’t Jesus know?  There is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, all three are separate in there own way, yet all three are one.  Why would Jesus not know what the Father knows?  Even though that is a question that I cannot answer at this time, one thing is for sure, Jesus is coming back someday for His bride.  Peter, John the Baptist, and many others went around saying to those around them to repent, because the end is near.  IF they were saying that almost 2000 years ago, how much closer to the end times are we now? 

 

How much are You willing to Pray?

Reading Matthew 26:36-46, I was struck about the importance of prayer.  Not that I don’t think prayer is important, I do!  I believe it is the basis of my walk with the Lord.  However, ‘western’ Christians, myself included, do not put a high enough of importance on prayer.  I cannot remember the last time that I ever gave up sleep in order to spend time in prayer.  Can you? 

Jesus took his three closest disciples with him to Gethsemane to Pray.  Peter, James and John.  He told them to “Sit here while I go over there and pray.”  Jesus was praying very earnestly.  He, as the scriptures says, “began to be sorrowful and troubled.”  Jesus knew that his time was coming when he would be arrested, and eventually crucified.  He is God the Son, which makes him omniscient.  Yet, even though he knows what must take place, he is still human, and can still feel everything and anything we would feel.  Emotions, tiredness, and pain.  All of which he has experienced by this time, with the exception to pain.  But I’m sure he knew what that was going to feel like.

 

The Offerings of Leviticus

During the time the book of Leviticus was written, most cultures of that day practiced with sacrificial systems.  There are three main features to what separated Israel from the rest of the cultures of that day.  First, most cultures of that day, especially Mesopotamians, believed that by studying the insides of an animal they could predict the future.  This was not present in the Israelites religion.  Second, the Israelites sacrificial system was linked to a conventional relationship with their God.  Other cultures were not.  The sacrifices were a huge component in the covenant bond between Israel and God.  Third, there was the concept of holiness tied to the sacrificial system, which none of the other culture did not have.  To Israel, “holy” was based on the moral and ethical nature of God.

 

What Do You Believe?

There is an end coming!  How and when it comes, none of know.  Some think they know, but the one thing that we all can agree on is that there is a day coming soon that Jesus will be coming back for his church.  I believe very strongly that this day will be soon than later.  Matthew 24:4-5 Jesus says, “Watch out that no one deceives you.  For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.”  One reason to be a student of the bible is to know when you hear or are being taught false doctrine.  A rule that I have always lived by is not to question everything.  For example, just because I hear a preacher teach a certain doctrine in church on Sunday does not necessarily mean that it is true.  I need to study it out, and see if after my own study of the matter, that I come up with the same conclusion. 

 

Hypocrites

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!  You give a tenth of your spices–mint, dill and cummin.  But you have neglected the more important matters of the law–justice, mercy and faithfulness.  You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.  You blind guides!  You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.       Mat. 23:23-24

These guys are very legalistic.  They always make sure they give their tenth of spices, and in full view of everyone.  They want to make sure everyone sees them doing it, and probably how much they are giving for that matter.  But yet, they ignore the matters that are of great importance to God, justice, mercy and faithfulness.  They have no problem doing the little stuff and what is easy for them, but when it comes to the harder stuff, they ignore it.  They have a huge arrogant pride about themselves.  What is most important to them is getting praised by men, not praising God.  They will quickly condemn anyone who does not tithe, for example, but when it comes to a matter of justice or mercy, which is the office that they are holding, they pick and chose when and what they do.  They don’t take the scriptures and make decision based on what God would want done, but what benefits them the most. 

 

Pride

The greatest among you will be your servant.  For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.                    Mat. 22:11-12

Pride is such a huge obstacle for all people.  I know in my own life it is one of the most difficult challenges that I face on a daily basis.  I never realized how selfish I was until I got married.  I always thought of myself as a pretty good guy who likes to help when I can.  But after I got married, my wife and I had soe difficult times, and the reason for that was my pride always kept getting in the way.  My Pastor refers to wives as the second holy spirit.  We should be open to the conviction of the Holy Spirit in our lives when we sin.  However, sometimes, including myself, I be come selfish and am blinded to the sin I am doing because of my pride.  That is where my wife comes in, because she will at times notice my sin and is more than willing to point it out.  In a good way though!  I am grateful for that too.  Because through that, will my personal relationship with Jesus Christ continue to grow deeper.