God's zeal
Zec 8:2
"Thus says the LORD of hosts:
'I am zealous for Zion with great zeal;
With great fervor I am zealous for her.'
How comforting it is to know that God still cares for His Church. Despite the many problems we see in church, God is still zealous for His people. Yes, in the end times, the Church may face even more trials, but I believe God will perfect those who are true. Those whose heart are sanctified for God. These will be the true Church in the last days.
Just a while back, I had thought that it was inevitable for the Church to face problems and dissension in the last days. So the concept I had in my mind was that God was just sitting back and looking at the Church. And then those who emerged true will be with God, other hypocrites will eventually depart from the glory of God.
I guess I was wrong. God is zealous for His church. He is constantly working as well. Just as each of us is constantly striving to meet the standards of God, He is also constantly working to perfect each and everyone of us.
Phl 1:6
being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
Sigh! My great God. The more I know about Him, the more I love Him.
As I was praying for the Church, Moses' prayer to God after the golden calf incident kept coming to my mind.
Exodus 32:11-13
Then Moses pleaded with the LORD his God, and said: "LORD, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?
"Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, 'He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from this harm to Your people.
"Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, 'I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of I give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.'"
Sometimes, it appears like God has washed His hands off the Church. But this can never be the case. Can you remember how you were called by the Lord? Or how your parents or grandparents were called? It wasn't something easy. It takes time and effort to come to understand the truth. It takes courage to accept it. Yet, throughout the entire period of truth-seeking, God is with you, guiding you. He took great pain to lead you to the truth. And then all these people now form His Church. This is His Church. God will never give up on His Church easily, those whom He has called and purchased with His blood. Why would He, when He had took such effort to guide you to know Him?
And then we can also pray to God that He preserve the Church, so that gentiles will not have any thing to say against God. There are already many verbal persecutions against the Church. We must never fall. We must never let gentiles have something to say against God.
And finally, we must remember the promise of God. The promise of the eternal kingdom that awaits those who are true towards Him.
"Thus says the LORD of hosts:
'I am zealous for Zion with great zeal;
With great fervor I am zealous for her.'
How comforting it is to know that God still cares for His Church. Despite the many problems we see in church, God is still zealous for His people. Yes, in the end times, the Church may face even more trials, but I believe God will perfect those who are true. Those whose heart are sanctified for God. These will be the true Church in the last days.
Just a while back, I had thought that it was inevitable for the Church to face problems and dissension in the last days. So the concept I had in my mind was that God was just sitting back and looking at the Church. And then those who emerged true will be with God, other hypocrites will eventually depart from the glory of God.
I guess I was wrong. God is zealous for His church. He is constantly working as well. Just as each of us is constantly striving to meet the standards of God, He is also constantly working to perfect each and everyone of us.
Phl 1:6
being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
Sigh! My great God. The more I know about Him, the more I love Him.
As I was praying for the Church, Moses' prayer to God after the golden calf incident kept coming to my mind.
Exodus 32:11-13
Then Moses pleaded with the LORD his God, and said: "LORD, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?
"Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, 'He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from this harm to Your people.
"Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, 'I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of I give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.'"
Sometimes, it appears like God has washed His hands off the Church. But this can never be the case. Can you remember how you were called by the Lord? Or how your parents or grandparents were called? It wasn't something easy. It takes time and effort to come to understand the truth. It takes courage to accept it. Yet, throughout the entire period of truth-seeking, God is with you, guiding you. He took great pain to lead you to the truth. And then all these people now form His Church. This is His Church. God will never give up on His Church easily, those whom He has called and purchased with His blood. Why would He, when He had took such effort to guide you to know Him?
And then we can also pray to God that He preserve the Church, so that gentiles will not have any thing to say against God. There are already many verbal persecutions against the Church. We must never fall. We must never let gentiles have something to say against God.
And finally, we must remember the promise of God. The promise of the eternal kingdom that awaits those who are true towards Him.
