Fountain

““On that day a fountain will be opened for the dynasty of David and for the people of Jerusalem, a fountain to cleanse them from all their sins and impurity.”
‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭13:1‬ ‭NLT‬‬
As a kid I don’t know what it was but when playing outside it didn’t matter where the water came from, as long as it was clean and cold. We would drink from the public water fountain at the parks. We would drink from the water fountains at school. We would drink from the water fountains at church. And we would make the water hose into a fountain. Truth be told a lot of things happened at the fountain. Remembering old crushes. Remembering old fights. Remembering old things at the fountain.

HERE IT IS…

“Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.””
‭‭John‬ ‭4:13-14‬ ‭NLT‬‬
The water we drank had memories attached to how we used to be. Those fountains bring up old thoughts. Where Jesus said that the water he gives will be a spring inside of us. We will never thirst again. We will not have to worry about the old things. We won’t have to worry about who we used to be. Because we have been made new.

Affected

“And the clans of Judah will say to themselves, ‘The people of Jerusalem have found strength in the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, their God.’ “On that day I will make the clans of Judah like a flame that sets a woodpile ablaze or like a burning torch among sheaves of grain. They will burn up all the neighboring nations right and left, while the people living in Jerusalem remain secure.”
‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭12:5-6‬ ‭NLT‬‬
One of my favorite players in the NFL was Terell Owens. He was a great player with speed and hand good hands and was able to make a play when needed. He and a couple of others career became great but was not able to fully blossom all together. See, T.O. was what they called a “cancer” in the locker room. With his antics and his dialogue with the media showed that he was not going to be good for the team. He was a distraction on the team and even if they won and had a great game the media wanted to see what he was going to say that was crazy. He affected his whole team.

HERE IT IS…

This is what God is saying he will do with his people but in the opposite. We are to be a nation that affects the the people all around us. We should be the people that shows the way for the others who are lost. We should have an affect on those around us that we lead them to Christ, so that they can do the same for those around him. What you do affects the others around you even if you think it doesn’t. Your thoughts, your actions, your words all play apart in what you can be considered. A “cancer” or an “blazing fire” to affect all of those around you. Which are you?

Restoration

““I will strengthen Judah and save Israel; I will restore them because of my compassion. It will be as though I had never rejected them, for I am the Lord their God, who will hear their cries.”
‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭10:6‬ ‭NLT‬‬
One of the shows I like to watch are the shows when the restore the house to looking brand new. Sometime later I miss the parts of the show where they gut the house and take everything out. I’ll turn it where they are doing the before and after. What I don’t see is what happen in between. The ones that I really like are the ones where they want to knock down a wall but it’s a load bearing wall. Sometimes they have to move the load from being carried in that spot to being moved somewhere else so they can knock the wall down and finish the restoration.

HERE IT IS…

Which wall have you put up that your not allowing to be knocked down because it’s carrying the load? What are you preventing God from restoring you because you haven’t allowed him to knock this wall down? See with restoration sometimes it may come to a point where we have to allow the builder to do what he does because he does this all the time. We are so afraid of the load falling and having a bigger mess that we don’t even recognize the one building it for us. We will have a new exterior and the inside still has old and new things in it because we won’t let him finish restoring us. “I will restore them because of my compassion.”

He is coming

“Rejoice, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey’s colt.”
‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭9:9‬ ‭NLT‬‬
I always loved going to parades just to see the floats and how they look. I always marveled at the floats that were not being pulled but designers to be driven. It seemed as if the they were remotely controlled because of how the created things to go around how they looked before compared to after. But, the excitement the brought as they slowly came through the street. The people on it waving as they portrayed characters that kids liked. It was always great to see the excitement.

HERE IT IS…

The excitement started for me knowing that the parade was coming up. Here we have Zechariah telling us that the parade is coming. He tells us what the float will look like. He tells us the person that will be on the float. The person on the float is not throwing candy, but offering salvation. The float he is riding on is something that’s never been risen before. The reason he is coming is just for us. The question is are you going to be there when he comes? Will you be in place as he passes by? Will you receive him with excitement or allow him to pass by because his ride is not flashing lights, and flowers. Here he is bringing you more than what you can ever have. Receive him as he comes.

Keep building

“For I am planting seeds of peace and prosperity among you. The grapevines will be heavy with fruit. The earth will produce its crops, and the heavens will release the dew. Once more I will cause the remnant in Judah and Israel to inherit these blessings. Among the other nations, Judah and Israel became symbols of a cursed nation. But no longer! Now I will rescue you and make you both a symbol and a source of blessing. So don’t be afraid. Be strong, and get on with rebuilding the Temple!”
‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭8:12-13‬ ‭NLT‬‬
God is turning this around for the good of Judah and the children of Israel. God is starting to prepare the way for what is to come and who is to come. Can’t you see it through the prophecy of Zechariah? The way his heart is changing about his people. It seems as if he was looking to start over again with a new nation of people. Until they started to build the temple. It wasn’t until they started to make room for God that he started to make room for them. It wasn’t until He saw them move that he moved.

HERE IT IS…

When you move on Gods behalf and do what is right it prompts, and pushes God to move. Get this, the Lord of heavens armies told him and showed him the plan after the people had started to move. Good wasn’t even talking to the one doing the building. Sometimes God will place some people in your life that has a direct line to his voice to lead and guide you. Why? Because if he came down and told you himself you wouldn’t believe. Some of us will wake up and think it’s a crazy dream even thought we see things in our dream in front of us. Some of us have work to do but because our ear has not been completely tuned he has to send someone to help you. Keep building he will send the help.

What’s the motive

“The Lord of Heaven’s Armies sent me this message in reply: “Say to all your people and your priests, ‘During these seventy years of exile, when you fasted and mourned in the summer and in early autumn, was it really for me that you were fasting?”
‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭7:4-5‬ ‭NLT‬‬
In watching these detective shows I have learned a lot. I watched the older ones like Mason, and Matlock, and Rockford Files, even Eye Spy. Now watching the detective shows of today I noticed that it seems the detective shows have switched the order. Older shows wanted to know the motive that lead them to the person. Where now they want to find the person first and then the motive. Then you have to look deeper because they use different methods now. The method is different put the process is the same. What’s the motive.

HERE IT IS…

This is what God told Zechariah to ask the priest and the people. What’s the motive behind the celebration. Is it really to give the praise to God? Or is it to satisfy yourselves? What’s your motive when you come to God? Is it to look holy or be holy. To ascot sanctified or be sanctified. Is it to feel his presence or act as if you felt his presence. What is your motive. I just believe when God has to ask a question like that to anyone around my area that it’s a good time to check my own motive and see if my process has become clouded with other stuff to the point God can’t tell if I’m looking for him or if I’m looking to impress people.

Where you looking at???

“I looked up again and saw a scroll flying through the air. “What do you see?” the angel asked. “I see a flying scroll,” I replied. “It appears to be about 30 feet long and 15 feet wide. ”

Then the angel who was talking with me came forward and said, “Look up and see what’s coming.” “What is it?” I asked. He replied, “It is a basket for measuring grain, and it’s filled with the sins of everyone throughout the land.”

Then I looked up and saw two women flying toward us, gliding on the wind. They had wings like a stork, and they picked up the basket and flew into the sky.”
‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭5:1-2, 5-6, 9‬ ‭NLT‬‬
I love riding on airplanes. I literally have to have a window seat so I can look out the window. As long as I am sitting by someone I know. I love the window seat because it shows me what I can’t see when I am all the way in the ground. We can look up and visualize what it is we see from down here, but it’s not until you reach what you visualize that makes it real. It gives you a sense of security and peace to know that it is obtainable. Just to be able to say I saw it and I know what it’s like.

HERE IT IS…

Where are you looking at? Zechariah is a very descriptive book of the Bible and explains a lot of detail. As he is with the Angel to show him something he says, “look up”. When he is showing him something else he says “look up” again. I think that’s a problem we all have. We eventually stop looking up and get distracted at other things. God keeps having to tell us to look up. God keeps having to tells us to look at him. We get so side tracked that we take our eyes off of the one who can gives it to us. Where you looking at? Just look up.

It’s in you

““Zerubbabel is the one who laid the foundation of this Temple, and he will complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sent me. Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.” (The seven lamps represent the eyes of the Lord that search all around the world.)”
‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭4:9-10‬ ‭NLT‬‬
Zerubbabel – Hebrew, and it means “sown into Babylon”. But can also mean “seed of Babylon” in Assyrian. Zerubbabel started building the second temple after the exile was over. He is the one who decided to rebuild what was lost and rightfully belonged to God. This man who was born in exile, was kept by God in exile, was now building the temple of God after exile. His family was cast out and nearly removed from history, but because of what he has on the inside of home God proves that it’s nothing that we can do but all about what God will do.

HERE IT IS…

It doesn’t matter where you came from or who your family are s God has a plan for your life. Your life is to valuable to think that you don’t have enough. Your to valuable to think that you can’t because you don’t have enough money. Your to valuable to think because of what my family did I can’t do anything. Your to valuable to think that because of your age it’s not going to happen. If Gods spirit is in it, it doesn’t matter what stands in front of you because Gods spirit is bigger than anything that may try to stop you. Keep it’s in you to keep going. It’s in you to see it through. It’s in you to make it. It’s in you.

New Clothes

“Jeshua’s clothing was filthy as he stood there before the angel. So the angel said to the others standing there, “Take off his filthy clothes.” And turning to Jeshua he said, “See, I have taken away your sins, and now I am giving you these fine new clothes.” Then I said, “They should also place a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean priestly turban on his head and dressed him in new clothes while the angel of the Lord stood by.”
‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭3:3-5‬ ‭NLT‬‬
I can remember as a child growing up, I always was the one that was hard to buy clothes for. I was the one that was always in between sizes. My shoes either had to be to tight or to big because I was in between sizes. When I had to shop for pants they would either be to short or to long because I was in between sizes. My shirts would either be to small or to big because I was in between sizes. So I would have to go and try clothes on to find my right size. Mom would have to test the size by putting fingers in between the pants and my waist and pull a little to see if I had room to grow.

HERE IT IS…

Sometimes we may be just like that in between different places in our life. We may have on dirty clothes called sin. We may even have clean clothes on top of dirty so no one sees our sin. At times we may just stay in one place and keep trying on stuff so no one can really see we need help. Truth is when you finally turn it over to Jesus and let him take you shopping. He will give you brand new clothes. He will give you brand new shoes. He will give you some jewelry to wear. And a new hat. He will do it in the presence of your enemies. He will allow him to see you be rewarded because you trusted God. Your reward is coming.

Go forth

“After a period of glory, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies sent me against the nations who plundered you. For he said, “Anyone who harms you harms my most precious possession. I will raise my fist to crush them, and their own slaves will plunder them.” Then you will know that the Lord of Heaven’s Armies has sent me.”
‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭2:8-9‬ ‭NLT‬‬
Ever ask these questions to yourself or to God, “am I worth all this trouble? I mean God I have done so much to tarnish your name. It has been years since I last did something crazy but my crazy and your crazy is different. God I just want to make sure you know what your going through all this trouble for.” Have you said, “I try to pray but my prayers seem like they aren’t worth much because I have disappointed you so much. I have let you down over and over again. I just don’t know why you want to use me. Use them, or him, or her. They haven’t done half the things I’ve done. WHY ME?”

HERE IT IS…

God then says, “have you not read my word? Have you been just skimming through? Truth is I want to use you because of what you have been through. I can’t use them because they have not had the experience you have. You went through that divorce, you went through drinking, you went through smoking, you went through jobs all because I need you to do something for me.” He says, “this will not last because you are “my most precious possession”. Your going to make it. Your going to do it. Your going to finish. All HE needs you to do is let Him in. All He need for you to do is trust in HIM.