PROSPERITY AND LOYALTY
Suggested Reading: Zechariah 1-3
Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).
This is a model of the Temple from the time of Jesus. King Herod renovated the Temple which had been built in the time of Zechariah 500 years earlier. This Temple was destroyed in 70 AD by the Romans.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verses: Zechariah 1:17, 2:5
Again proclaim, saying, “Thus says the Lord of hosts:
‘My cities shall again spread out through prosperity;
The Lord will again comfort Zion,
And will again choose Jerusalem.'”
“…For I,” says the Lord, “will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.”
That word “prosperity,” in our first key verse, may have been a strange concept for these people who had been through very hard times. Ezra, the priest, who had led the original group of Jews back to Jerusalem from Babylon, wrote these words: “So the elders of Israel built, and they PROSPERED through the prophesying of Haggai, the prophet, and Zechariah, the son of Iddo” (Ezra 6:14a). Initially, Zechariah, a younger man, may have ministered as an assistant to Haggai. Zechariah’s book is the longest of all the minor prophets. It is truly a major message from God to all of us.
With preaching, such as in our second key verse, it’s no wonder that the people responded by working together in unity to complete the Temple construction and restore the worship of the One True God. The “wall of fire” would provide protection against temptations from within, because of the glory of God inside, and protection from the attacks of the world from outside. As we daily live in the presence of God, worshipping and serving Him, He’s got us covered!
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, I pray that I will never take You for granted, but take You at Your Word! May I rely on Your promises daily, promises such as those found in our key verses. I believe that You are my “Prosperity,” and “The wall of fire” protecting me. Grant that I may be always at peace and that I may be encouraged in my service to You. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen!!!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
I am a greatly blessed man. In the last two weeks I’m prospering as a result of the preaching of three God-called preachers/pastors, Wayne Blackburn of Victory Church, Jay Dennis of First Baptist Church at the Mall, and Mike Middlebrook of Bethel Gospel Tabernacle. I don’t recommend running around from church to church, but there are unique circumstances in my life. Pastor Blackburn is my Florida Pastor, and I told his son the other day that “I’m as loyal as an old hound dog!” I take in the Victory services three times a week when staying in Florida at our mobile home, and also there, First Baptist has an 8:00 a.m. Sunday service. Norma-Jean and I arrived back in Canada last week, and I wanted to hear the new Pastor at Bethel, Hamilton, a congregation I pastored in the past. Hallelujah! I believe and preach that one should be totally loyal to one Home Church and Pastor, being present whenever a service is convened, but I also believe and teach that with that solid foundation of loyalty, we can be blessed and encouraged by others. During one period of my life, I went to three Sunday Schools every Sunday: our own church at 10 a.m., the Christian and Missionary Alliance at 2 p.m. and the Salvation Army at 3 p.m. I can hear it now, “This boy had the makings of a fanatic!” Well it just depends on one’s definition of the word “fanatic,” e.g. a sports “fan-atic,” or “someone who is more enthusiastic about their cause than you are about yours.” Anyway, the people of Jerusalem worked with fanatical enthusiasm as a result of the preaching of those two preachers!
Yours for loving and serving God with all our hearts, minds, souls, and strength!
David
It was interesting in our reading how The Lord rebuked Satan while Joshua stood before the Angel of The Lord in dirty robes, later to cloth Joshua in rich robes cleansing the iniquity from him. It is a blessing when others intercede and stand in the gap, but it is truly grace when our Lord rebukes Satan from harming. Thankfully, we are safely within the ring of fire as we surrender and worship our Father. Prosperity can be seen in what we truly value, and what we are grateful for. May His peace and guidance be yours to enjoy this day.
Amen!
Amen!
Zechariah 1-3 was rich in teaching, today. The Holy Bible is God’s direction and love story to us. He has taught from the very beginning to follow and listen to His instruction, worship and praise him, and stay connected to Him through prayer; and he reminds us, continuously throughout. He grants us prosperity and abundance through our dedication to loving and serving Him, ourselves, and fellow humankind, thus providing us with a great wall of protection. Thanks, David Mainse, for your reminder to honour Him through our attendance and continuous learning from fine preachers in various churches while staying centered in a home church. Blessings dear fellow saints.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
Job 42:10
After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before.
Deuteronomy 30:14-16
No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.
Had to read ahead a bit. I’m interested in understanding about the 2 olive trees. It is so wonderful to be able to understand these lesser known books. Thank you DM. We are thankful you are safely back.
Amen David M. and fellow bloggers. Enjoying these books on the coming Messiah and the glory of God! Have a great day! The sun is out again!
I want to bring attention to fellow bloggers of a situation I feel calls for urgent prayer– this week in Chibok Nigeria over 200 school girls were kidnapped after an terrorist group raided their remote boarding school, destroying it and taking off with all the girls. Some of them managed to escape but there are still a large number missing.
It amazes me how in Europe and North American only one white child has to go missing and the main stream media is on it non-stop, but this incident in Nigeria is just one of many mass kidnappings to take place of girls in Africa over the years and we hardly heard boo about it. This terrorist group is against females getting an education and have routinely raided and destroy schools for the past year in order to get parents to take their daughters out of school.
So lets us pray for the families of these missing girls, for the girls themselves who are most likely being sexually molested as I write this, and for international community to use this latest incident to shine a light on this evil that works in the darkness of world ignorance and pray that nations will work together to protect children regardless of color, race or religion all over the globe. Amen
Thanks for this Donna. I will pray for these girls regardless of political, race and religious issues. God sees beyond all complicated obstacles, so, of course, I’ll pray for the girls.
Thank you Doreen for this. We learned of this on our holidays and have prayed and will continue to pray. This should be a world wide prayer request. Thank you for highlighting it.
It is true. I have been praying for their release. There are so many areas of the world where the spirit of death and torment is active…including N.A.
I know evil happens everywhere, even here, but my point was if this kidnapping had taken place in NA news outlets like CNN would be covering it non-stop– and that media spotlight makes is difficult for crimes to stay hidden, but because it was on the other side of the globe it hardly got mentioned– and I find that rather sad, because perhaps if these stories made headlines more often governments would be pressured into action against it.
The news won’t cover it because it was a case of Muslims attacking Christians. I think that it if had been the other way around, and it had been Christians attacking Muslims, the media would be on it right away. They would have used the incident to throw in the face of Christians, who are seemingly the only ones not willing to ignore atrocities taking place in the name of religion.
We live in an era of political correctness where it seems that in order to look as though one is open minded, he/she must ignore or downplay the behaviours of certain groups. I’ve noticed that other religions are treated with “kid gloves,” so to speak, but Christianity is openly bashed and mocked.
I pray for the girls in Africa that have been kidnapped, I pray a ring of protection around those who are vulnerable and defenceless. I pray that the eyes of those who have taken part in these horrible crimes would be opened, so they would see the evil they have done, and come to repentance. Amen
I wonder how often Jerusalem needs to be chastised.
I pray, if you are considered fanatical DM, that I will one day be as blessed. There are far worse ‘addictions’ in this life than loving our heavenly Father and wanting to do His will. I say go with it:-)
Blessings on all dear saints this beautiful Spring day. Thank you fellow bloggers for your encouraging comments each day. I love you all.
Amen!!, Amen!! and Amen!!
Nancy xoxoxo
I pray for these girls who have been kidnaped ,keep them safe dear Lord
my God bring them home safe and sound….R…
Yes Lord I pray for your protection and comfort for those girls…Lord I pray they be set free In Your Mighty Name Jesus I pray!!