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Today is Tuesday September 28, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Zechariah, chapters 1-7. If you would like to read today's chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this link onto your browser: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/bible-september-28

Today's Message: The Fig Tree
The fig tree is mentioned forty times in the Bible, a fig tree is a hearty tree that produces fruit as long as it is taken care of. Much care needs to be given in order for it to produce good, edible fruit. A fig tree requires a warm climate, water, sunlight for at least eight hours a day, and needs to be pruned when the tree is dormant (at rest). Fig trees are easily damaged, so, extreme care should be given to make sure these trees remain healthy and producing fruit. The Bible says, “For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:..That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; ” - Colossians 1:5,6,10. As Christians, we are like fig trees, extreme care is needed to keep us healthy and fruitful spiritually. We need God's Word to keep us warm, Christ's living waters to quench our thirst, to walk with Christ, who is our light, and we need to be pruned once in a while to get us going again.

The Book of Zechariah is the thirty-eighth book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains fourteen chapters. The author of the book is Zechariah and it was written to the Israelites who returned from Babylon. The purpose of the book was to further urge them to complete the Temple, to renew a spiritual commitment with God, and to warn them of the coming judgment. What we are to learn from the book is that God is in control of all affairs of the nations and that it is important to keep out spiritual commitment with God before Jesus returns. Zechariah was a prophet of the remnant of Jerusalem whom have been released from the captivity of Babylon seventy years later and are now in the midst of rebuilding the Temple. “Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD. Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever? But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.” -Zechariah 1:3-6. The Lord of hosts means that God is mighty and in power and in control of everything. God is telling the new generation not to be like their fathers whom have ignored His Word and commands. He is encouraging them to repent and turn from their wicked ways and says He is going to deal with them regardless of whether or not they repent or not. We are all going to face Christ one day, regardless of whether or not we received Him as our Savior, and He is going to deal with us accordingly.

God assures the new generation that He will be with them and they will be blessed by committing themselves to Him. “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD. And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee. And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.” - Zechariah 2:10-12. Often we come to the end of our resources and lose confidence in our own abilities before we learn to trust in the Lord. However, no matter how uncertain things look God is always there, He will take care of His people, we just have to endure some pain at times in the midst of them. Remember, God will do some pruning on us to renew our spirit when it gets dormant.

Through Zechariah, God assures all of us that He forgives and forgets all our iniquities, “Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment....Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH. For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall ye call every man his neighbour under the vine and under the fig tree.” -Zechariah 3:3,4,8-10. Amazingly, the second we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior the filthy garments of sin are removed from us and we are given new clothes of righteousness. “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness,” -Isaiah 61:10. Praise God!

Through Zechariah, God also foretells the second coming of Christ, “And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD: Even he shall build the temple of the LORD; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both....And they that are far off shall come and build in the temple of the LORD, and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto you. And this shall come to pass, if ye will diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God. ” - Zechariah 6:12,13,15. Jesus is the BRANCH, He is also the vine that branches off of God. Jesus said, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” - John 15: 4-7. The only way that we are going to be fruitful and flourish like a healthy fig tree is to abide in Christ. Renew your spirit, commit to Jesus, and when we do all the blessings just keep pouring in. Praise God!

Enjoy the rest of your day/night and week.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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