Common Sense Reborn

December 9

¹²Again I asked him, “What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?”

¹³He replied, “Do you not know what these are?”

“No, my lord,” I said.

¹⁴So he said, “These are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth.”  (Zechariah 4:12-14)

The Book of Zechariah is full of Biblical imagery.  Yesterday’s chapter was a bit confusing as Zechariah himself tries to seek understanding for the image of the gold lampstand and two olive branches.  Zechariah asks God for clarification, and, according to the Prophet, God’s response is cryptic in itself.  Zechariah is definitely one of these books that needs some further research.  What I have read is that the “two who are anointed” refer to Joshua and Zerubbabel.  Zerubbabel is mentioned earlier in Chapter Four, which led me to ask:  who the heck is Zerubbabel?  Well, Z, as I will call him, is the governor of Judea when the construction of the second Temple is built in the 6th century BC.  The Second Temple would stand as the center of Jewish faith until it’s destruction in 70 AD, as the first Christian church began to gain prominence in the area.  The Romans would destroy the Jewish Temple and much of Jerusalem in 70 AD due to an ongoing Jewish revolt.  This must have been devastating and crushing to the Jewish faith and followers in that time.  However, for those brave Jews that had already converted to follow Christ, the destruction of the Jewish temple brought even greater conviction that Jesus was the Son of God, the chosen Messiah and the Truth, the Way, and the Life.  What an incredible time this must have been in the world!  The birth of Christianity, the destruction of the Old Jewish ways of worship, and then the continual modernization of government through all that the Roman Empire was doing at the time.  And through it all there was Christ and the Holy Spirit, moving through the epicenter of modern humanity at the time.

Yesterday I looked through the Associated Press’ Top Photos of 2021.  I invite you all to look at this collection and see how the world was truly ablaze in 2021.  For all our complaining in the United States, we really have it easy compared to what the rest of the world was going through this year.  What I found surprising is how many photos revealed the world’s worship of Jesus and the seeking of peace through prayer.  Yet we live in such a violent world, I do not understand how all these Christian nations have no true understanding of what being a Christian is all about.  For example, the abuses Ethiopia’s military is committing against the Eritreans is disgusting, especially from a country that touts its Christian majority and alleged housing of the Ark of the Covenant.

The world needs a better understanding of what it means to be a Christian, and I stand behind the analysis provided in Common Sense REBORN.  It’s available for everyone in our newest addition out now for 2022.  Get your copy here, and get a copy to give out to help grow the truth of the Gospel:  the simple truth that we all need to LOVE GOD and LOVE ALL PEOPLE.

I really wanted to wait for Maverick City Music to release the live music video of the song  below to share it with y’all, but I could not wait any longer.  This one is again from their amazing album, “A Very Maverick Christmas.”  This is my favorite track and after reviewing the tragedies that engulfed the world in 2021, I realize I have so much to be grateful for.  There’s a lion in my lungs, and I will get up and PRAISE THE LORD for all that God has blessed me with.  HALLELUJAH!

Reading plan:  Revelation 9; Zechariah 5