229 Monday, August 17, 2009

229 Zechariah 005 – 009; Philippians 001

God through these visions is sending a message and that is Yahweh is in control. The flying book, a woman in a basket, and the four chariots is about God patrolling this earth. The ones returning from exile must not forget who is in control and who sees to the four corners of the earth. Bethel sends a delegation to pray and to inquire about the fasts they had been holding every fifth and seventh month. The answer was to the point of being blunt. These fasts were never held for Me--Yahweh. You held these for yourselves. God makes the point by letting them know that if they had been for God then their lives would have changed. Here is what Yahweh desires from you, "Treat one another justly. Love your neighbors. Be compassionate with each other. Don't take advantage of widows, orphans, visitors, and the poor. Don't plot and scheme against one another--that's evil." When you read the Sermon on the Mount you will find the same theme. The theme of 1 John is if you want to know if your name is written in the Lambs book of life then look and see how you treat others. This theme of our horizontal being evidence of our vertical with God is powerful and sobering.

They have locked Paul up, but the Gospel is never under lock and key. Those that preach with the wrong motives so be it, but the Gospel is being preached. But for you, "Meanwhile, live in such a way that you are a credit to the Message of Christ." How are living today? Are you living to lift up the message and ministry of Jesus Christ? Is your life a reflection of the life of Christ? Ask Christ for His help to be light and salt in this day.