From Delayed Broadcast of Fellowship in Batam.
Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The theme is "Return to Me, and I will return to you."
Zechariah 1:3
1:3 "Therefore say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Return to Me," says the LORD of hosts, "and I will return to you," says the LORD of hosts.
This theme refers to the calling of God to all of us.
Why must there be the calling of God?
God does not want that the men He has created especially His servants only become the food of the serpent and perish forever. Therefore, He keeps on calling them until today so that they can return to paradise and the eternal heavenly kingdom.
'says the LORD of host'is said three times in Zechariah 1:3. It refers to the calling of the Trinity of God, namely the Father or the Lord, the Son of God or Jesus, and Holy Spirit God or Christ to the sinful to return them to the image of the Trinity of God.
The facts found in the calling of the Trinity of God are as follows.
God blesses you.
Peace and grace in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The theme is "Return to Me, and I will return to you."
Zechariah 1:3
1:3 "Therefore say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts: "Return to Me," says the LORD of hosts, "and I will return to you," says the LORD of hosts.
This theme refers to the calling of God to all of us.
Why must there be the calling of God?
- Genesis 3:8-10
3:8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
3:9 Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?"
3:10 So he said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself."
In the beginning, God created men according to the image of the Trinity of God and placed them in garden Eden. They lived joyfully together with God without any tears.
Unfortunately, Adam and Eve sinned, so they were cast to the world. All men have sinned in the world and they lose the image of the Trinity of God. They are naked and separated from God. Such condition is signified by the fear and anxiety or there is no peace.
The sinful men have no power to return to God; even they hide themselves from Him until they are separated more from Him. Therefore, God has an initiative to call the sinful to return to Him so that they are not separated from Him. - Genesis 3:11-14,17-19
3:11 And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?"
3:12 Then the man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate."
3:13 And the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
3:14 So the LORD God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life.
3:17 Then to Adam He said, "Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat of it': "Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life.
3:18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field.
3:19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return."
Unfortunately, Adam and Eve and all sinful men in the world rejected the calling of God because of keeping the self-truth, namely covering the sins by blaming others, God, even Satan. Men become hard-hearted like Satan. They do not want to repent; even they cannot repent.
The consequences are as follows.- Living in the atmosphere of curses or thorns, tears, sorrows, and bitterness.
- "to dust you shall return" means keeping on being flesh and blood men who are sinful and unwilling to, unable to, and never repent until being the food of serpent.
- Living in the atmosphere of curses or thorns, tears, sorrows, and bitterness.
God does not want that the men He has created especially His servants only become the food of the serpent and perish forever. Therefore, He keeps on calling them until today so that they can return to paradise and the eternal heavenly kingdom.
'says the LORD of host'is said three times in Zechariah 1:3. It refers to the calling of the Trinity of God, namely the Father or the Lord, the Son of God or Jesus, and Holy Spirit God or Christ to the sinful to return them to the image of the Trinity of God.
The facts found in the calling of the Trinity of God are as follows.
- The calling of Father God or the Lord.
Malachi 3:7-9
3:7 Yet from the days of your fathers You have gone away from My ordinances And have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you," Says the LORD of hosts. "But you said, 'In what way shall we return?'
3:8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed Me! But you say, 'In what way have we robbed You?' In tithes and offerings.
3:9 You are cursed with a curse, For you have robbed Me, Even this whole nation.
It is intended for the men who were cursed, disobedient, and in sorrows, difficulties, and weaknesses.
Formerly, in the Old Testament, Adam and Eve were cursed because of eating the forbidden fruit. The fathers of the house of Israel ate the possession of God, namely the tithes and offerings. Now, in the New Testament, the servants of God also eat or steal the possession of God, namely the tithes and offerings.
Why?
Eve ate the forbidden fruit because of hearing the voice of the serpent.
The servants of God steal the tithes and offerings because of hearing the voice of the serpent, namely false teachings, gossips, and the voice of the flesh. Consequently, they give so many reasons to justify themselves and do not realize that they have been stingy and greedy. The strange voice causes the hardness in heart, namely the heart which is full of the lusts of money. Stinginess means that one cannot give for the work of God and others who are in need. Greediness means stealing the possession of God and others by doing corruption or not paying the debt.
Consequently, one lives in the atmosphere of curse as if he eats the thorns or lives in the valley of difficulties physically and spiritually up to the eternal perdition.
Therefore, we must receive the calling of Father God through the preaching of the Word which is sharper than any two-edged sword. As a result, our hard heart is sanctified from evil lust or the one of money to be holy. We can return the tithes and offerings. We can give for the work of God and others who are in need. Moreover, we can feel more blessed to give than to receive; even we can give our whole life for God.
Malachi 3:10-12
3:10 Bring all the tithesinto the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.
3:11 "And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field," Says the LORD of hosts;
3:12 "And all nations will call you blessed, For you will be a delightful land," Says the LORD of hosts.
We can undergo the cycle of the heavenly kingdom, namely we return the tithes --> there is food or the Word in the house of the Lord --> we eat the Word by hearing and doing or obeying it --> the Lord opens the windows of heaven --> there are blessings, protection, and joy --> we can return the tithes.
We never lack of anything in the cycle of the heavenly kingdom. We live in abundance. It means that we always give thanks to God. The thing we need is always provided in time. - The calling of the Son of God or Jesus.
Matthew 11:28-30
11:28 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
11:29 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
11:30 "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
It is intended for those who are weary and heavy-laden because of these things.- Sins up to the peak. It is the heaviest burden that burdens men in the world.
- Feeling great and righteous, one does not want to confess the sin, but blames others. He also does not want to confess the greatness of others.
All of us are used by God according to the talent He has given. We may not be able to do what others can do. - Temptations and problems; even the impossible ones.
Jesus is lowly in heart by confessing our sins. We must also have the humbleness by confessing our sins to God and others. It is also the ability to confess the goodness of others.
The gentleness is the ability to forgive and forget the sin of others. It is also the ability to receive the weakness of others.
If we are lowly in heart and gentle by confessing and forgiving sin one another, the blood of Jesus will wash and removes our sins, so we can live in righteousness. We live in peace, serenity, and relief, without any fear. All things become easy and light. If the sea is calm, we will have the beautiful successful future life. We are used by God in the ministry of reconciliation and the one for edifying the body of Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:18
5:18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,
If our heart is not peaceful, God cannot use us. - Sins up to the peak. It is the heaviest burden that burdens men in the world.
- The calling of Holy Spirit God or Christ. Revelation 22:17
22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
It is intended for the thirsty life in the wilderness of the world or ones who are neither satisfied nor happy.
Proverbs 30:15-16
30:15 The leech has two daughters--Give and Give! There are three things that are never satisfied, Four never say, "Enough!":
30:16 The grave, The barren womb, The earth that is not satisfied with water--And the fire never says, "Enough!"
One of the things that are never satisfied is the grave. A mad man of Gadareness refers to men or fathers and pastors who are often dissatisfied as follows.- He was in the mountains and in the tombs. It means that he is not shepherded or has no true vine. He joins the fellowship or the service to God only to look for physical things, not the true teaching Word or Jesus Himself.
- Crying out refers to grumbling, lying, gossiping, slandering, and blaspheming or blaming the true teachings and justifying even supporting the false ones.
- Cutting himself with stones refers to doing bitterly towards the wife. If a servant of God does bitterly towards the wife, how will be the destiny of the congregation? If a husband does bitterly towards the wife, how will be the destiny of the children?
The children who are not satisfied will be like the younger son who left the field of the father and went to the one of swine.
The young men who are not satisfied or unfaithful in serving and ministering to God will be in the field of swine for sure, namely being evil and unclean.
The thing which was remembered by the younger son is the food in the house of the father. It refers to the teaching Word.
The woman of Samaria did the divorce-remarrying until five times like the dog and swine. The Gentiles are only like the dog and swine before God.
John 4:7,9-10
4:7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give Me a drink."
4:9 Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
4:10 Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink,' you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water."
The mothers have no dealings with others means that there are bitterness, pain, envy, and hatred in the heart. It will be terrible if a wife hates her husband. The bitterness of heart often comes out through murmuring like disgusting vomit. Consequently, the husband and children do not like staying in the house.
The solution is giving drink to Jesus so that he gives us the living water to satisfy us.
Where can we give Jesus drink? We can give Him drink on the cross, namely the sour wine mingled with gall. It means that we honestly confess our sins and condition to the Lord. As a result, He will give us the living water or Holy Spirit. The life renewal happens, so we can be strong and of good courage as follows.- Not being disappointed or hopeless and not leaving God, regardless of anything we must face.
- Keeping on holding fast the true teaching Word and living in righteousness.
- Keeping faithful and fervent in spirit in serving and ministering to God.
- Keeping on worshiping God and hoping only in Him.
Holy Spirit is also able to perform miracles physically.
Zechariah 4:6
4:6 So he answered and said to me: "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' Says the LORD of hosts.
Holy Spirit works to make impossible things possible. The last miracle happens when Jesus comes a second time, namely we are changed to be as perfect and glorious as Jesus is. We return to the image of the Trinity of God. We are lifted up to the glorious clouds to return to paradise up to the eternal New Jerusalem forever. - He was in the mountains and in the tombs. It means that he is not shepherded or has no true vine. He joins the fellowship or the service to God only to look for physical things, not the true teaching Word or Jesus Himself.
God blesses you.