Day 26

Hmm…tonight was a good night. Today was just one of those days when you just go from meeting to meeting to meeting to meeting and then after your mind is numb, stumble into the prayer room and just soak. It is amazing how much of the Lord’s heart he will download when you just sit still and wait in silence.
Tonight, I was studying Jesus’ last week before the cross. After Jesus has been anointed by Mary in Bethany, the next day Jesus begins the last leg of His journey into Jerusalem. He sends two of His disciples ahead of Him to find a donkey for Him to ride in to the city on. It might seem random, but this is to fulfill a prophecy that was spoken about the Messiah about 450 years before,

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt the foal of a donkey.” (Zechariah 9:9)

This is an amazing verse to meditate on! In the midst of her oppression and her face that is downcast, the cry goes forth, “Rejoice! Sing! Shout!” What could lift the face of Israel? It is the promised hope of the coming Messiah. It is no wonder that the people reacted the way that they did. The people were rejoicing because the time of their oppression is over. The people were seeing Zechariah 9:9 played out right before their eyes; they were living in the days of prophecy fulfilled. Now all they were waiting for was for Jesus to fulfill the next verse,

“I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem; the battle bow and the spear shall be cut off. He shall speak peace to the nations; His dominion shall be ‘from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.’”

In their minds the Romans will be overthrown within the week. But little do the people know that between verse 9 and 10 there is a 2000 year delay. And here we stand, looking back on the day when He came lowly on a donkey and looking forward when He will return and in righteousness and justice He will make war. And yet His heart remains the same. Oh, the beauty of this man! Just and true are all your ways! I long for the day when I will look up and see my redemption drawing near! Come Lord, Jesus. We long for you.

Day 25

Due to an interesting turn of events, I seem to have gotten a new part time job for the weekends. So, that is my reason for not blogging for the past few days, please accept my sincerest apologies, Jerry, you can take the bag off your head now...
Tonight I was meditating on a verse that does not contain the word behold, but it is my opinion that it should and so I am including it here. John 6:16-20,

"Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, got in the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark and Jesus had not
come to them. Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing. So when they
had rowed out about three or four miles [BEHOLD] they saw Jesus walking on the
sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid. But He said to them, "It
is I, do not be afraid."

Jesus, the God-man walked on water! But the question for me tonight was why? What was Jesus thinking and feeling as He was walking out to meet His disciples in the middle of a storm? Here is just one possible thought based on tonight's meditation. I was looking at the feeding of the five thousand that happened right before this event. Jesus multiplied bread and astounded the multitudes. They were so astounded that they wanted to make Him king by force. The people were ready to start a revolution! So Jesus withdrew to pray and sent His disciples ahead of Him. I can only imagine what the disciples were thinking about Jesus. Were they thinking about who would be the greatest in His kingdom? Were they thinking about how powerful and rich they would be? I can imagine their pride swelling, but that pride could lead to false ideas about who this man is. But as Jesus aproached them on the water, all of those false ideas came crashing down. He isn't just some guy who could multiply bread, this is the very son of God. This is more than a cool story, it is the fear of the Lord. He is that awesome thing. He can't be controlled, marketed or publicized. The only response to this sight is on of worship and wonder. "Truly, you are the Son of God."

Day 21

While Zack might be asking the question of whether of not we should 'behold' movies and T.V, I am going to try to avoid controversy (for now) and continue to 'behold and bless the Lord' instead. I don't have a specific verse for the night, just a series of thoughts. On Thursday nights our prayer room team takes communion together. It is amazing how much more impact the cross will have when you have been meditating on the incarnation. Suddenly the phrase, "This is my body broken for you," means a whole lot more when you realize that it is GOD who is speaking. Not only did the eternal second person of the trinity take on the likeness of sinful flesh and dwell among sinful humanity, but He laid down His life to redeem us to Himself. He allowed His flesh to be torn, He allowed His blood to be poured out.

It is stunning and offensive and when it really impacts your heart, it is much more fascinating than any T.V show could ever be.

Day 20

For anyone who was not at the 4am intercession set tonight, man... you missed out. I don't know if they planned it or not, but the whole theme of the set was to behold and bless the Lord. Choruses included:

Fill me with the knowledge of God,
with the knowledge of you,
with the knowledge of the Holy Holy

I want to burn like the cherubim burn,
I want to see what the seraphim see,
I want to burn like the cherubim burn
Holy Holy

You who stand by night in the house of the Lord,
Will you behold? Will you behold?

Basically, my whole night was hijacked. Every time I started to review my notes from class today, I would start crying or singing or praying or clapping or something. It was absolutely wonderful.

It's amazing! We are the generation that will actually get to see His face! We will join with the heavenly chorus and cry Holy, for when we are presented with such transcendent beauty, all other words will fail!

Day 19

Today in class, Stephen Venable was teaching on John the Baptist and the Forerunner Ministry. We were looking at a passage in Isaiah 40:9, “

O Zion, you who bring good tidings, get up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, you who bring good tidings, lift up your voice with strength, lift it up, be not afraid; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!”

However, today Stephen said that it isn't Zion who is calling the people to behold their God but a better translation of this passage sees these verses as still referring to the ‘voice’ of vs. 3-5, the ASV says,

“O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up to a high mountain; O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!”

So this is a charge to the forerunner to call the people of Israel to behold their God; to see Him as He truly is, to gaze upon His beauty. The forerunner is exalting Jesus so that “all mankind together will see it.” However, it is impossible to call someone else to behold that which you have not gazed upon yourself. Before anyone can bear witness to the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, they must gaze upon that light themselves. Otherwise, what will you say? How would you tell others that He is good unless you have experienced it yourself? I was really encouraged today just because I know that the last two years that I have been in Kansas City might seem like a waste to some, but all those hours of beholding the Lord are writing a message on my heart. I will be able to tell others, not about doctrines, but about a man. “Yes, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved; this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem!” (Sos 5:16).