God is Faithful
This Sunday, FGA was most privileged to hear from the Director of the School of Acts
Luke 1:5In the time of Herod king of Judea ….
Starting from vs.5, Reverend Raymond pointed our attention to the time of King Herod. It was a time of darkness, governed by the ruthless and cruel Romans. It was also a time of increasing immorality and idolatry as decadent Roman culture and practices pervaded the people of God. It was a time when religion was only a form with no substance. Worshippers performed meaningless rituals, and the true understanding of God’s ways were being lost in the myriad of additional sub-rules being created by the Pharisees and teachers of the law. King Herod himself was a tyrant, having his own firstborn son killed on his birthday, murdering his own wife and notoriously decreed that all children under the age of two be killed in an evil attempt to destroy the prophesied “King of the Jews”. He was what you would call today an “anti-Christ”.
Today, times of darkness have also come and continue to come on the countries of the world. Terrible wars cause countless tragedies and destruction. Governments are overthrown. Natural disasters inflict carnage in so many places at once. At the same time, immorality and crime are abundant, and people are all looking out for themselves, self-seekers and lovers of money.
… there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. 6Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commandments and regulations blamelessly.
Against this backdrop, our attention is suddenly turned to a godly couple, Zechariah and Elizabeth, who live differently from the rest of the world. They are righteous in the eyes of God and seek to obey God in all His law! Today, regardless of the immorality and violence among us, God is looking for people who are righteous, who will seek to obey God in spite of the conditions of the world.
7But they had no children, because Elizabeth
However, strangely, inconceivably, this godly couple did not appear to be blessed, for they had no child…. In those days, barrenness was deemed to be a sign of being cursed. If you had no children, people would assume that you had lost God’s favor, and you must have sinned terribly. Poor Zechariah and Elizabeth must have poured out many tears to God, but after so many years, having become old, they would have given up on ever becoming parents.
Here were two God-fearing servants of God… but they were not blessed! Sometimes, we feel that way. We think that becoming a Christian will lead us to a smooth, trouble-free life which is a bed of roses, and when more troubles seem to come, we are bitterly disillusioned.
Reverend Raymond shared how as a young orphan boy growing up in a temple, his restless spirit was too much to cope for his guardians. Finally, he was allowed to go to a Pentecostal church in the hope that they could change him, and miraculously, he accepted Christ at 15. Two years later however, his beloved adopted mother passed away. She was the one who continued to support him and defend him no matter what the other nuns said, and suddenly she was gone. She was his only source of hope for so long, and now she was no more. At her funeral, he was forced to go on his knees with a cup of tea to beg his new adopted mother to accept him. She, however, was wailing at her accursed luck in being given the responsibility of this rubbish. For many years, poor Raymond cried himself to sleep, questioning God, wondering why committing himself to Christ had brought such misfortune upon him. Yet, in his suffering and communion with God, he began to build a very deep relationship with God, growing in a maturity that was fundamental in preparing him for the powerful ministry that he champions today.
8Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God,
Despite his misfortune, we see this all important point – Zechariah was still serving God!!! He was old, he was discouraged, but that did not stop him from serving God! Though times are bad, though we feel down and discouraged, we need to continue to be faithful, to keep serving our God!
9he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense.
There are so many priests in each division but only one will have the privilege of burning incense before the Lord each year. In most cases, as a priest, your one time will be your only time. But God needs only one time! That one time, God touched Zechariah and promised him that he would have a son, and his son became John the Baptist, one of the greatest men to ever walk the face of the earth!
Zechariah was going into the Lord’s temple to bring the needs of the people to God and to ask for forgiveness for their sins. His focus was on others, the needs of the people, but God ministered to him first! We may be down, we may be weary, but let us focus on the needs of others, for God will bless in His perfect timing!
10And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.
Reverend Raymond then bade us focus on what was happening at this great meeting of Zechariah with an angel of God! The people were praying! It was during a time of prayer when the miracle happened! When people pray, it does move the powerful hand of God!
In conclusion, our speaker focused on the names of Zechariah and Elizabeth! Zechariah means “God remembers”. The angel told Zechariah “Your prayer has been heard”! Zechariah probably had stopped praying for a child so many years ago, but God remembered! Elizabeth
God bless,
Jason
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