Much of the book of Joel is a warning from God to His people of a coming disaster because of their sins. As part of that warning, God calls his people to true repentance, not relying on outward displays, but of a true heartfelt repentance that results in significant change.
It is typical on Father’s Day to talk to fathers, but this year we are going to place the focus on our heavenly father and his deep love for his people. In the days of Zechariah, he called the Israelites, “the apple of His eye.” And we should be comforted to know that God’s people in the church are just as precious to Him.
In Zechariah 9 there are several descriptors of how God relates to his people. Under the New Covenant, these same descriptions can be applied to the church.
In Zechariah 9 there are several descriptors of how God relates to his people. Under the New Covenant, these same descriptions can be applied to the church.
The church must make sure that it continues to preach the truth about sin. We do this not to demean or condemn, but to show love by teaching people how to be saved in Jesus Christ. In preaching against certain sins, however, we must also be mindful of those sins that might be easier to fall into. One such example is the sin of pride, which is addressed in the early verses of the short book of Obadiah.
Even as God warned of judgement against Israel in Hosea 1, he promised to preserve and deliver the kingdom of Judah. In the same way today, though we know that God will render judgement against the wicked, he has promised to deliver and save the church.
It is easy in our day and age to become so comfortable that we neglect important spiritual things that matter so much more than our comfort. The same was true in the days of the prophet Amos, who rebuked those who lived in comfort while their fellow Israelites suffered, and while the nation continued to fall into godlessness.
There are few words in the English language as beautiful as the word “mother.” It is right to honor mothers, and we do so on this day by remembering an incredible example of a mother’s love from Scripture. And in remember her example, we then reflect on how God shows his love to all of his children.
Following a recent sermon, where we established from Micah 3 that God does not listen to those who persist in sin and error, I was asked if God hears and listens when we, members of the body of Christ, pray for such individuals. Of particular concern were those who are lost and/or in error. I gave an answer at the moment the question was asked, and would like to share those thoughts and a bit more here.
First of all, we know from 1 John 5:14 that “if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” (All Scripture quotations from the ESV). John writes in the beginning of the verse that we have confidence in this truth. Since we know that God “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4), and that He does not wish “that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Pet 3:9), then we can confidently say that praying for those who are lost and in error, that they may come to the truth, is within God’s will. And since it is in God’s will, we can confidently say that He hears those prayers.
If we know that He hears us, we can also know that He answers those prayers. Exactly how he answers those prayers is difficult to say, since we do not know the mind of God outside of what the Scripture says, and we do not always know the ways in which He is working. It seems logical to think that one way that God would answer such prayers is by giving those whom we pray for the opportunity to see the truth and respond to it. That opportunity may come through us, especially if it is a close friend or a family member, or it may come from some other means. We need to be ready to seize any opportunity that the Lord gives us to reach anyone that we can with the truth, especially if they are one that we have specifically prayed for.
But we must also keep in mind that God is not going to force any person to receive Him, and how a person responds when the truth is presented to them will ultimately be their decision. He created us as free moral agents with the ability to choose good or evil (Deut. 30:15); we are able to choose whom we will serve (Josh. 24:15). We can’t force someone to receive Christ; we can’t force someone to depart from error and accept the truth. It will always be their own choice to make.
But we can keep praying for them, and we absolutely should keep praying for them. Never give up on them. I have heard many stories of those who have prayed for a lost individual, sometimes for decades, praying that they would come to the light. And though for many years it seemed the lost person would never respond favorably to the Lord, one day they came to the Lord and responded in trusting, obedient faith, and were added to the body of Christ. I can’t say that this will happen in every situation, but we never fully know how God might be working behind the scenes. So keep on praying! Never give up! God is listening.
In this short lesson we look at Ezra, a scribe and priest in post-exilic Israel. He set his heart to know God’s word, to do it, and to teach it to others. As God’s royal priesthood today, the church should have the same attitude.
Keep Christ in The Christian 