Our Responsibilities as Priests - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Malachi 2:7,

"The lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the messenger of the Lord Almighty and people seek instruction from his mouth."

All believers become priests of the Lord when they embrace Jesus Christ in faith. "As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 2:4-5. He goes on to say a few verses later, "You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." 1 Peter 2:9-10.

God makes priests of us as it is his intention to use us to bring others to Jesus Christ. When we respond to the gospel, we are to carry the message within us and bring as many as we can along with us. This is how Jesus Christ is building his kingdom, his family.

As priests, it is incumbent upon us to represent the Lord to others. It is something we take on as a duty, an obligation. Some may feel they have no responsibility toward the Lord, what it is he desires of us. In a lack of gratitude, a stunning lack of appreciation for all the Lord has done for us, some simply live their lives in a disregard for what the Lord's desires are for us.

Such was the case of the priests in Malachi's day. They had not resolved to honor the Lord, verse 2. There was a heavy price to pay, as the Lord told them he was going to "curse your blessings", again, verse 2.

Something we may fail to recognize is our responsibility before the Lord for others that should have been encouraged in the Lord through us. The Lord laid at the feet of these priests in the day of Malachi the stumbling of others as they failed to carry out their responsibilities with reverence and awe for the Lord, see verse 5.

Samuel was a priest who had great appreciation for these things. I am reminded of his words in 1 Samuel 12:23, "As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right." 

How are we doing with our priestly responsibilities?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

My Father? My Lord? Where's the Evidence? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Malachi 1:6a,

"'A son honors his father, and a slave his master. If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect due me?' says the Lord Almighty."

Here is a sobering question from the Lord. Following the completion of the second temple in Habakkuk's and Zechariah's day, maybe 90 years or so later, Israel is found to be aimless and listing about in their worship of the Lord. Rather than living their lives in such a way as to communicate a reverence for him, they were drifting. Not following the Lord's commands, offering worthless animals as offerings to him, they communicated their disregard for the Lord in their acts. They were not expressing with the things they thought, said, and did that reflected he was their Father, their Lord.

Of course, the question comes to me: do my actions, is my lifestyle, are the choices I make communicating my ardent reverence and love for my Lord? Is he really the Lord of my life if I find other things to occupy myself with in a disregard for him?

Do I recognize the Lord with the way I utilize the time he has provided me? Do I invest the strength and energy the Lord has given me in the pursuit of his agenda? Do I offer to him some meaningful part of what he has blessed me with as an expression to him?

What shows up in my checkbook register? What does last month's calendar look like? How did I spend my time? How much of the Lord did I allow into my life? Better yet, how much effort did I take in my pursuit of him?

Is he really my Father? Is he really my Lord? If so, just how is that expressed in my life?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Signs of the Return of Jesus Christ - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Zechariah 14:2-9,

"I will gather all the nations to Jerusalem to fight against it; the city will be captured, the houses ransacked, and the women raped. Half of the city will go into exile, but the rest of the people will not be taken from the city. Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations, as he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him.
On that day there will be neither sunlight nor cold, frosty darkness. It will be a unique day—a day known only to the Lord—with no distinction between day and night. When evening comes, there will be light.
On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it east to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter.
The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name."

A long quote this morning, but an important one. Here we have prophecy concerning some details relative to the second coming of Jesus Christ. Here are ten things I'm looking at this morning:

1. All the nations will gather to attack Jerusalem.

2. Jerusalem will fall, houses ransacked, women raped.

3. Half those living in Jerusalem will be taken from the city, the other half left.

4. The Lord will wage a military fight against the nations that attack Jerusalem.

5. The Lord comes! His feet will land on the Mount of Olives. He will be accompanied with "all the holy ones."

6. The Mount of Olives will be split in two. Many will flee through the valley the split creates.

7. On that evening, the normal darkness will not fall over the land, it remains light.

8. It will be a day only the Lord knows of (Jesus Christ told us only the Father knows when that day will be.)

9. A "living water" begins to flow from Jerusalem after the Lord returns.

10. Jesus Christ becomes the ruler of the world, bringing an end to all the world's religions (one Lord).

These I find fascinating and are a part of the material all believers need to be aware of today. An interesting study is to look at what Zechariah has to say and compare it with other prophecies the Lord has provide us, such as Matthew 24. We need to be armed with the information the Lord has left us. He didn't provide it in order to "dress up" our Bibles, to embellish them with religious gingerbread. He wants us to know these things!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Jesus Christ as King of the World! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Zechariah 14:9,

"The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name."

Specifically, this is a statement of the rule of Jesus Christ over all nations of the world. It is not some fuzzy reference to the rise and expansion of Christianity in the world, but a direct statement of the state of affairs when Jesus Christ comes back to earth and sets up his kingdom, a monarchy, over all the earth from Jerusalem.

We read of this in many places in Scripture, both the second advent (or "coming") of Jesus Christ and his rule as king of all nations of the world. There will be no nation, no culture, no society, no ethnic identity that will not exist under the rule of Jesus Christ. We are told in verse 16 that all surviving nations following the return of Jesus Christ will go up to Jerusalem to worship him there. They will celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.

As an interesting aside, it is my perspective that the prophecy that the Festival of Tabernacles will be celebrated when Jesus Christ establishes his rule on earth was Peter's misplaced understanding when the Lord transformed himself as we read in Matthew 17. When the Lord took Peter, James and John, his "inner-circle", up a high mountain, "There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, 'Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters [or, "tabernacles"]—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." Matthew 17:2-4. When Peter witnessed the incredible sight of Jesus in his glory, he thought this rule of Jesus Christ over all the nations of the earth was unfolding before his eyes. The very thing Zechariah spoke of in chapter 14.

Possibly the most dramatic and moving reference to the reign of Jesus Christ over the whole world is found in Revelation 19:15-16, "Coming out of his [Jesus Christ's] mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. 'He will rule them with an iron scepter.' He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."

We read of the establishment of the Son of God as king over all the nations of the world in Psalm 2.

"Why do the nations conspire
    and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth rise up
    and the rulers band together
    against the Lord and against his anointed, saying,
'Let us break their chains
    and throw off their shackles.'

The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
    the Lord scoffs at them.
He rebukes them in his anger
    and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,
'I have installed my king
    on Zion, my holy mountain.'

I will proclaim the Lord's decree:

He said to me, 'You are my son;
    today I have become your father.
Ask me,
    and I will make the nations your inheritance,
    the ends of the earth your possession.
You will break them with a rod of iron;
    you will dash them to pieces like pottery.'

Therefore, you kings, be wise;
    be warned, you rulers of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear
    and celebrate his rule with trembling.
Kiss his son, or he will be angry
    and your way will lead to your destruction,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
    Blessed are all who take refuge in him."

The establishment of the kingdom of God on earth with Jesus Christ's rule from Jerusalem will bring an end to the "religions" of the world. It will also bring about the end of the human rebellion against God on planet Earth. There will be no more of this confused and foggy thinking of "god is who you make him to be." Real justice, (not this materialistic pursuit of "social justice" that is fashionable today to sell socialism and the agenda of the progressive movement) will be established on earth.

What a day that will be when Jesus Christ comes back and sets up his kingdom here! All foretold in Zechariah's prophecy!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

The Lord Refines Us Like Precious Metals - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Zechariah 13:9,

"This third I will put into the fire;
    I will refine them like silver
    and test them like gold.
They will call on my name
    and I will answer them;
I will say, 'They are my people,'
    and they will say, 'The Lord is our God.'"

Here is something that gets missed at times. The Lord will "refine" his people like silver, he will "test" them like gold. For those who know, this is a painful process. In a number of passages in Scripture reference is made to the removing of dross in our lives - the unwanted part of the refining process - the refining of precious metals is used as a metaphor for the process of removing sin from our lives.

The writer of Hebrews explains this to us as he references Proverbs 3:11-12, "In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,

'My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,
    and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
    and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.'" Hebrews 12:4-6.

The writer of Hebrews goes on to say, "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:7-11.

In his letter to the church at Laodicea, Jesus speaks about this as well, "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent." Revelation 3:19. This is that refining process we read of in Zechariah.

While we may be apprehensive about this painful process (which is why both the writer of Hebrews and Jesus himself encouraged us in it), look at all who are not going to go through the process, "'In the whole land,' declares the Lord, 'two-thirds will be struck down and perish; yet one-third will be left in it.'" It is that one third that will be disciplined, will be refined and tested to remove the dross of sin. The other two thirds, those who reject God's offer of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ, will simply face eternal death in the judgment to come.

Far from the life of ease, the life of peaceful affluence in this life, in this age, that gets peddled today as the "gospel", when we embrace Jesus Christ in faith, we need to be prepared to embrace the wonderful work the Lord will begin in our lives. It will be painful, but it will be important. And, lets face it, we all desperately need it! I know I do.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

God Forms the Human Spirit Within a Person! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Zechariah 12:1,

"A prophecy: The word of the Lord concerning Israel. The Lord, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the human spirit within a person, declares: 'I am...'"

The One who speaks in Zechariah 12 is the One who "stretches out the heavens". He is the One who "lays the foundation of the earth". He is also the one who "forms the human spirit within a person." This is the One who speaks in Zechariah!

Nothing could be more astonishing than the apprehension of, achieving the awareness of the author, the One who speaks through Zechariah! Think about it!!

The One who created all we see, the One who designed and built the cosmos! The One who is responsible for heaven's very existence! This is the One who speaks!

I can look up the latest on a news feed. I can listen to the day's reports on television and radio. I can read books and magazines... yet, I have to question everything I read, everything I see, everything I hear. Not so Zechariah! Nothing in all that it says, the oracles, the visions, the prophecies- they are all directly from our Creator! Contrary to those who are so confused, who refuse to acknowledge what it is our God has to say, who reject the Scriptures as the very words of our God of Creation, everything found within Zechariah and all of Scripture is truthful, accurate, without any error whatsoever, authoritative and that which we will all have to answer to!

I notice that that not only is the author of what is written in Zechariah the Creator of heaven and earth, he also "forms the human spirit within a person". Think about that for a moment. Although we have corrupted ourselves through sin, it is the author of Zechariah who planted within our bodies that which provides us personhood. That which defines what it is that makes us what and who we are. No man or woman is self-made and the act our parents engaged in that actually brought us into being hardly makes them or us what we are. God forms the human spirit!

Unfortunately, though we were designed perfectly by our Creator, we have perverted and corrupted ourselves through the deceitfulness of sin. We have spurned our Creator who has fashioned each of us as he intended (short of the sin in our lives). But, we have forsaken him… yet, although we do not deserve it, he has made a way for us back to him! Our Creator has made a way for us through his Son, Jesus Christ, that we might have a life of abundance, happiness and fulfillment for an eternity, a place at his table!

All he asks of us is to put our faith and trust in him!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Jesus Christ: Of What Value is He to Me? - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in Zechariah 11:13,

"And the Lord said to me, 'Throw it to the potter'—the handsome price at which they valued me! So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them to the potter at the house of the Lord."

Here is the familiar prophecy of the money Judas made when he betrayed Jesus. Five centuries before the birth of Christ the Lord foretold this aspect of the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for us all when he paid for our sins. In Matthew 27:9-10 we read, "Then what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled: 'They took the thirty pieces of silver, the price set on him by the people of Israel, and they used them to buy the potter's field, as the Lord commanded me.'"

Matthew's reference to Jeremiah about the prophecy relates to what we read in Jeremiah 19:1-13 and 32:6-9. But, here in Zechariah the clear prophecy concerning the betrayal of Judas for thirty pieces of silver is provided.

The prophecy relates to the prophetic activities the Lord directed Zechariah in, as he was commissioned to shepherd "the flock marked for slaughter", Zechariah 11:7, his payment of silver and the direction the Lord gave him to throw the silver at the potter. The fulfillment of this prophetic direction, of course, is further documented in Matthew 27 where we read that Judas, having betrayed Jesus for the thirty pieces of silver, felt remorse and threw the silver into the temple where the chief priests picked it up and "they decided to use the money to buy the potter's field..." Matthew 27:7.

What catches my eye is the comment Zechariah makes, "the handsome price at which they valued me!" The value of something is always recognized by what it can be bought for, and for the Son of God, the value placed on him was thirty pieces of silver. The only man qualified to take away the sins of the world was worth thirty pieces of silver!

That raises a question for me personally. What is Jesus Christ worth to me? What value is he to me that I should express? Money, time, effort, the giving myself to his agenda? What value do I express in my worship of him? In my desire for him that is expressed by spending time with him in his word, in prayer, in those things he cherishes? Am I willing to be transformed into his image to bring him the recognition he deserves? Am I willing to love others as he has asked of me?

How much do I value Jesus Christ? Because I live in a real, physical, material world, I will express his value to me by the choices I make. At the end of my life, how will that balance sheet look?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com