Intimacy with God: From Genesis to Revelation, this is the ambition of those who know their Creator. God desires it, too, but it’s Satan’s worst nightmare! One way he prevents us from intimacy with God is getting us to doubt our salvation. Do you have assurance of your salvation?
Every Christian knows about prayer. We say grace before meals, pray with our kids at bedtime, and recite the 'Lord's Prayer.' But prayer is also a doorway to intimacy with God. We just need to change our goal from getting God to do something for me, to knowing Him better.
This summer we're focusing on intimacy with God. Scripture doesn't explicitly address this, but it is displayed in the lives of godly people, and is an implicit goal for every Christian. What is intimacy with God?
Zechariah's prophecies are in a rarely-read part of the Old Testament, forgotten to most Christians. After all, what could a prophet from 2,500 years ago have to say to us today? As it turns out, a lot!
Zechariah 9-11 foretold Messiah's first coming, and rejection by Israel. The second oracle in chapters 12-14 describes the second coming, and the cleansing of the nation, finally ruled by her Messiah King.
The temple was finished in 515 BC. Thirty-five years later, Zechariah received revelations from God with details of future events. It is not a pretty picture, but it is a 'burden' the prophet must bear.
The temple in Jerusalem was being rebuilt but all was not well. A delegation arrives with a question for the priests. Zechariah senses a deeper issue, and God gives him four messages that expose our hearts.