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
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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

Sheep Wandering Without Want of a Shepherd! - 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 10:2,

"The idols speak deceitfully,
    diviners see visions that lie;
they tell dreams that are false,
    they give comfort in vain.
Therefore the people wander like sheep
    oppressed for lack of a shepherd."

Today, just as in Zechariah's day, there is no end to the direction given by those who deceive. Just as the purveyors of idols of an earlier age made their attempts to persuade folks from the Lord, peddling what sin and Satan has to offer, we have the very same today.

We don't call the deceivers today idols and diviners, we call them politicians and entertainers, folks in the music and movie industries who have made a name for themselves in their respective trades, those who have managed to be successful at the ballot box, or at their "dotcom" companies.

They all peddle the same "stuff". There is no god, we will maintain the creation. There is no god, we will decide who lives (we call it "choice"). There is no god who created us male and female, we will decide which gender we identify with so perverts can legally go into the little girl's bathroom. There is no god so we will establish what is moral and what isn't after our own sinful image.

Expressions of worship of God in the public square are out, and the depravity of a gay-pride parade is in! Marriage of male and female is out, and the notions of a depraved American leader who has "evolved" on the issue is in! Keeping perverts out of the little girl's bathroom is out and keeping any knowledge of God from these same little girls is in!

And, just as in Zechariah's day, people are just sheep! Sheep lost and wandering about. Although Jesus Christ came two millenia ago to show us the way, people are just like lost sheep today. Although the Lord raised up over forty writers of Scripture to show us the way, people are just like lost sheep today. Although the Lord has drawn all mankind to himself and sent his Holy Spirit to show us the way, people are just like lost sheep today.

It was about 2,600 years ago the Lord made his observations known through Zechariah, and what we see today is the very same observation. People wander about like lost sheep being mislead here, there, everywhere. Only today... they do not do so for lack of a Shepherd!

"Woe to those who call evil good
    and good evil,
who put darkness for light
    and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet
    and sweet for bitter.
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes
    and clever in their own sight." Isaiah 5:20-21.

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

It Simply Doesn't Matter What Anyone Feels About Things - 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 9:3-4,

"Tyre has built herself a stronghold;
    she has heaped up silver like dust,
    and gold like the dirt of the streets.
But the Lord will take away her possessions
    and destroy her power on the sea,
    and she will be consumed by fire."

I wonder how Tyre felt about this prophecy. She had built up her economy and the folks there lived a prosperous lifestyle. How might they feel about the Lord foretelling the fact that he was going to take it all away? Were there efforts to hold public hearings on the matter? Was the move by the Lord only going to have effect upon those who recognized the Lord? How about all those who thought and felt differently? How about those who didn't feel the god-fearers among themselves had the right to "impose" their beliefs on all in Tyre?

If we would all simply read the Scriptures to understand them, and then listen to what is being said in our own culture and society, we all might have a good laugh! In Psalm 14:1 we read, "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good." However, in Psalms 115:3 we read, "Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him." The final outcome will be, "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.'" Psalm 2:4-6.

It really doesn't matter what people today think or "feel" about the Lord and the moves he makes. He has his own agenda and what any of us may feel about any of it really is of no consequence to the outcome of the affairs of the day. It has a huge consequence on our own personal future... but not upon what happens among peoples and nations today. No need for public hearings here! The Lord is going to carry out his plans exactly as he says he will!

Those who embrace the Lord in faith are the ones on the right side of all human history. The thoughts and feelings of all those who reject the Lord will have no bearing on the outcomes of the future. Those who reject the Lord will face an unbearable fate in that fiery lake of burning sulfur. Read Revelation 21:8 to see tomorrow's headlines!

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 Divine Presence: Intensity! - 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 8:1,

"This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'I am very jealous for Zion; I am burning with jealousy for her.'"

The Lord was jealous for Zion as the Jews had spurned him in favor of serving and worshiping others: lifeless idols! From this passage, there can be no question of the Lord's desire for Zion to be built up to serve his purposes. The Lord had already made some major moves to get their attention and he will not be dissuaded in the least in his intentions for Jerusalem. He is going to prepare the nation of Israel for the coming of her Savior, Jesus Christ.

What grabs my attention is not simply the point the Lord makes, that he his "very jealous for Zion". To communicate clearly, he repeats himself, but this time with words that put an emphasis on his feelings for Zion. His expression becomes a Bang!, a point of exclamation! "I am burning with jealousy for her."

Did you know the Lord can "burn" with emotions? Here his jealousy burns for Zion. If anything, this communicates to me that not only does our Lord emote... he emotes with a visceral energy with an aggressive virility we might find quite consuming.

The Scriptures paint for me a picture of our Lord who does not carry himself in pastels and quietness. His incomprehensible love, his terrifying wrath, his unwavering consistency within himself all point to our God as one who has a presence we simply cannot approach in this life.

Intensity, a presence of overwhelming force and strength, an ardency of passion, all mark the God we read of in the pages of Scripture!

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

On Rejction by God and Embrace by God - 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 7:13-14,

"'When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen,' says the Lord Almighty. 'I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations, where they were strangers. The land they left behind them was so desolate that no one traveled through it. This is how they made the pleasant land desolate.'"

"This is how they made the pleasant land desolate"... here is something those who are all tied in knots about our environment ought to consider. When the Israelites turned their backs on their Creator, he cursed the land. How ironic it seems that the very ones who are all atwitter about environmental issues also happen to be the very ones who reject any consideration of the things of God! So... what is the real-life existential threat to our environment? Might it be our culture's embrace of those things the Lord refers to as detestable perversions? How about homosexuality? How about the wholesale slaughter of innocents still within the womb? How about our culture's drift from all things God?

What I find fascinating in this passage is an obvious and expected truth. To those who do not respond when the Lord calls, the Lord will not respond when they call to him! Fine and dandy when all things go well. However, when the chips are down and we are all shaken to the core, most folks call out to God (whoever they perceive him to be...). How would it be if Iran drops nukes on New York, Chicago and LA? Will those who so confidently spurned the Lord in favor of their own brilliant ideas call out to the God and Father of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? You bet they will! And, what will be God's response? "When I called, they did not listen, so when they called, I would not listen." But, a nuclear attack on the American homeland is preposterous, right? No worries... just keep rejecting the only One who can save.

There is the other side to what the Lord has to say here. If we reject the Lord when he calls, he will reject us when we call. However, If we draw near to God, he will draw near to us! "Come near to God and he will come near to you." James 4:8.

Just how wonderful is that?!

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 Building of the Lord's Temple - 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 6:15,

"Those who are far away will come and help to build the temple of the Lord, and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you."

The book of Zechariah is focused on the completion of the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. However, I am reminded of that which constitutes "the temple of the Lord" today. The church is considered to be the temple of the Lord in that his presence on planet earth these days is represented in the hearts of his people. "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 [temple] to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 2:4-5. The Lord, through the Holy Spirit, indwells all who have embraced Jesus Christ in faith.

In the book of Romans Paul stresses the theme of salvation by faith. It is through faith, and not the deeds of the do-gooders that brings us a righteous standing with the Lord, an everlasting life of abundance and a place at his table for all eternity. There is a second theme that is very strong in Paul's letter to the church in Rome: salvation is for the Gentiles, just as it is for the Jews.

This second theme of Paul in the book of Romans is represented by many quotes of the Old Testament that speak to the Gentiles joining the Jews as the people of God, "What if he [God] did this [bore with "great patience" the wicked] to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory— even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? As he says in Hosea: 'I will call them "my people" who are not my people; and I will call her "my loved one" who is not my loved one,' [Hosea 2:23] and, 'In the very place where it was said to them, "You are not my people," there they will be called "children of the living God."'" [Hosea 1:10]. Romans 9:25-26.

This verse in Zechariah 6:15 reminds me of this theme. "Those who are far away" are those who are distant and strangers to the covenant God had made with the patriarch of Israel, Abraham. They, the Gentiles, will "come" and help build the Lord's temple, an enterprise active today.

All things in the prophetic nature of the Scriptures point to the coming Messiah and the family (his temple) he builds in this age. When the family is fully populated (a point which only God knows), this age will come to a close and the building of "the temple of the Lord" will be complete.

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 Woman in the Basket - 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 5:5-8,

"Then the angel who was speaking to me came forward and said to me, 'Look up and see what is appearing.' I asked, 'What is it?' He replied, 'It is a basket.' And he added, 'This is the iniquity of the people throughout the land.' Then the cover of lead was raised, and there in the basket sat a woman! He said, 'This is wickedness,' and he pushed her back into the basket and pushed its lead cover down on it."

This seventh vision that Zechariah received is remarkable. He sees a basket with a woman in it representing evil. A lead lid is used to contain the iniquity and two other women with wings appear that take the basket away. Sin is contained and removed from the people of God!

This is the very promise of Jesus Christ. As Jesus Christ approached John the Baptist, John exclaimed, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" John 1:29.

Mankind, lost in sin, and hopelessly doomed to the destruction it brings, required help in order to have any hope in life. The life our Creator offers us is life lived in his presence, freed from sin with sin's destructive presence itself removed. This brings us life lived the way our Creator intended, experiencing his "river of delights", Psalm 36:8, and pleasures at his right hand, Psalm 16:11. Eternal life with sin, death, destruction, misery, pain, sickness and infirmity, all removed! Life lived in his presence, bringing all the happiness, fulfillment and purpose life was meant to have!

How wonderful is that?!

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

Assurance From the Lord - 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 4:10,

"Who dares despise the day of small things, since the seven eyes of the Lord that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone in the hand of Zerubbabel?"

The Lord encouraged Zerubbabel with his very own assurance that the rebuilding of the temple would be completed, with his observation of the final stone, the "capstone" being placed. Regardless of the opposition incurred or the work load experienced, it would be completed. The Lord said in verses 8-9, "Then the word of the Lord came to me: 'The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple; his hands will also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.'"

The anthropomorphic reference to "the seven eyes of the Lord" is seen as a reference to the Lord's omniscience, his transcendence and sovereignty. If anyone can say what will come about, it is the Lord himself. Thus, the assurance to Zerubbabel of the completion of his efforts, in an effort to encourage him in the work, came from a source of none better.

"The seven eyes of the Lord" speak to me of the reality that there is absolutely nothing within the cosmos that the Lord is not intimately aware of. A number of passages press this point. In one psalm, David points out that there is no where he can go to escape the Lord's presence and awareness, as the Lord knows all:

"You know when I sit and when I rise;
    you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
    you, Lord, know it completely...
Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, 'Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,'
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you." Psalm 139:2-12.

In any event, when the Lord provides assurance, since he knows everything, including the future, it is as good as done.

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
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The Branch - 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 3:8-9,

"'I am going to bring my servant, the Branch. See, the stone I have set in front of Joshua! There are seven eyes on that one stone, and I will engrave an inscription on it,' says the Lord Almighty, 'and I will remove the sin of this land in a single day.'"

The "Branch" in this prophecy is Jesus Christ, prophesied here five centuries before his arrival. The Branch is spoken of in Isaiah 4:2-6. In that passage, the Lord is seen as one who "will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain" - a reference to God's own judgment of sinful man. When the Branch comes, we are told, "The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire." Verse 4. On that day, "the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land will be the pride and glory of the survivors in Israel." Verse 2.

In Isaiah 11:1-3 we read of this Branch, "A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord— and he will delight in the fear of the Lord."

The prophecy in Jeremiah 23:5-6 tells us, "'The days are coming,' declares the Lord, 'when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Savior.'" Here is the prophetic anticipation all creation has for its coming Savior, Jesus Christ!

Jesus Christ, the Branch, is "The Lord Our Righteous Savior!"

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

Woe to the Nations that Align Themselves Against Israel! - 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 2:8-9,

"...whoever touches you (Zion) touches the apple of his (the Lord Almighty's) eye...  I  will surely raise my hand against them"

The setting for this prophecy is at the end of this age. Where there may be some immediate fulfillment within those nations who come against the fledgling group of Jewish returnees from Babylon to Jerusalem, there is clearly an "end of the age" perspective here - future to us today. The ultimate fulfillment of this will be at a time when "many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people" verse 11.

Some in the church mistakenly feel the Lord is done with Israel. Nothing could be further from the truth. Israel is the bellwether for all the activities of the Lord at the end of this age. The Lord is not done with Israel in the least. Paul speaks of this time in Romans 11:25-27, "Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written: 'The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.'"

Woe to the nations that align themselves against the Israel of today! They will find the Lord himself to be the one they have to face as an opponent. A frightful position for a people to place themselves in!

"It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:31.

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

Where are the Fools Now? - 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 1:4-6,

"Do not be like your ancestors, to whom the earlier prophets proclaimed: This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Turn from your evil ways and your evil practices.' But they would not listen or pay attention to me, declares the Lord. Where are your ancestors now? And the prophets, do they live forever? But did not my words and my decrees, which I commanded my servants the prophets, overtake your ancestors?"

Embedded within the first prophecy given Zechariah was an observation by the Lord. In preparing Zechariah's audience, the Lord pointed out that their forebearers had rejected the Lord's word... and what did it get them? What profit was there in ignoring the Lord's direction, what good did it do them? The Lord's comment says it all, "Where are your ancestors now?"

Exactly where they are is in the place of departed spirits. The place Jesus spoke of when he gave the account of the beggar Lazarus, and the rich man. Here is what Jesus told us, "The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'"

This is the plight of all who reject the Lord, who ignore his commands, who spurn his love and forgiveness in order to cling to their sin. We read in Proverbs 21:30, "There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord." We simply ignore the Lord to our own personal peril. In speaking of plans in the book of Proverbs, here is another verse to consider, "Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."

There is no future whatsoever in turning our backs on the Lord. From a position of clarity on the state of things in God's cosmos, it is insane to reject what the Lord has to say.

However, many are the ones who fool themselves,

"The fool says in his heart,
    'There is no God.'
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
    there is no one who does good.
The Lord looks down from heaven
    on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,
    any who seek God.
All have turned away, all have become corrupt;
    there is no one who does good,
    not even one.
Do all these evildoers know nothing?"

Apparently, these evildoers do know nothing. They were around in the earliest days documented in the Scriptures, and, the very exact same kind of person is with us today. Fools who reject the Lord. And, to what end?

How tragic! Don't be a fool! Embrace the Lord today!

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

Tomorrow's Headlines Written 2500 years ago! - 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 14:2-5,

"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."

This prophecy is a message of the end of the age. At the time Israel finally embraces Jesus Christ as her Messiah, see Romans 11:25-27, it will be a tumultuous time. The Lord "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." It is then Israel will return to the Lord and recognize Jesus Christ as the Son of God.

Even a cursory reading of Judges reveals this same methodology the Lord used to bring Israel back to himself repeatedly. By sending her a life-threatening array of nations against her, she will fall on her knees to seek the Lord's deliverance. I sense this is what we read of here in Zechariah 14:2-5.

Zechariah 14 has historically been a difficult chapter to interpret. There is no event in Israel's history that matches what we read here. For me, I take this passage to be the upcoming headline stories we will all be reading of in the not to distant future.

As the nations gather against Israel, take note! The Lord's coming will be near. The culmination of these events will result in, "The Lord will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name." Zechariah 14:9.

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