Tag Archives: Jesus

    11 Though they plot evil against you    and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed.  Psalm 21:11 (NIV) Throughout history, cunning people have often been able to manipulate their way into positions of power and influence.  This was true back in the time of Esther, whom God had elevated to Queen of Persia in order to protect and preserve HisContinue reading “An Evil Manipulation – Esther 3“

When the people of Judah had begun to return to Jerusalem after their exile in Babylon to rebuild the city and its temple, they were still under the jurisdiction of Medo-Persian empire.  Though they had been granted permission by King Cyrus to return home, there would still be demonic forces opposing them every step ofContinue reading “Esther Queen of Persia – Esther 2“

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus made the following declaration:     5 “Blessed are the meek,    for they shall inherit the earth.  Matthew 5:5 (TLV) This statement gets ignored by many of us, as it appears to be just the opposite of what we observe in our day-to-day lives.  The meek and humble almost always seem toContinue reading “The Lord Sings – Zephaniah 3“

God has promised through multiple prophets that the great world empires of history, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and its modern-day derivatives, will all one day be replaced by a different kind of government led by God Himself, Jesus Christ. But we are also warned that this final government will not come without birth pains.  WithContinue reading “A Spirit of Grace – Zechariah 12“

In the gospel of John, Jesus differentiates between Himself, the Good Shepherd who loves His sheep, and a hired shepherd, who leads the sheep but has no commitment to them: 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired man, since he is not the shepherd and doesn’t ownContinue reading “The Bad Shepherd – Zechariah 11“

After his prophecy about Jesus entering Jerusalem on the colt of a donkey, the prophet Zechariah was given another piece of information about the coming Messiah.  Zechariah writes: 12 Then I said to them, “If it seems right to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” So they weighed my wages, 30 piecesContinue reading “Thirty Pieces of Silver – Zechariah 11“

The prophet Zechariah was privileged to be given this prophecy to share with the world about the coming Messiah: 9 Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion!        Shout, daughter of Jerusalem!    Behold, your king is coming to you,        a righteous one bringing salvation.        He is lowly, riding on a donkey—        on a colt, the foal of a donkey.  Zechariah 9:9 (TLV) When the futureContinue reading “The Triumphal Entry – Zechariah 9“

God showers us daily with unlimited blessing.  We may not always appreciate or realize it, but they do come from His hand in a steady flow.  Food, shelter, the beauty around us, even the breath of life in our lungs. What does the Lord ask of us in return?  He explicitly revealed this to theContinue reading “Divine Priorities – Zechariah 7“

After Zechariah’s series of visions were complete, the Lord directed him to go collect a gift from the silver and gold brought back from Babylon and take it to the house of the high priest, Joshua. The Lord’s instructions continued: 11 Take the silver and gold, make an elaborate crown, and set it on the head of Joshua the son ofContinue reading “Behold the Man – Zechariah 6“

Around the time that the Jewish exiles had begun their return to Judah after seventy years in Babylon, the prophet Zechariah was given a series of nine visions from the Lord, all occurring in one night. In reverse order, these visions included the woman in the basket, the flying scroll, the golden lampstand with theContinue reading “Zechariah’s Ninth Vision – Zechariah 6”