Eternity Daily Bible Study No. 206 Treasures From The Prophets - 4 To subscribe just send a blank email to: eternity-dbs-subscribe@strategicnetwork.org GRACE, GRACE TO IT! Zechariah 4:6,7 MKJV (6) Then he answered and spoke to me, saying, This is the Word of Jehovah to Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says Jehovah of Hosts. (7) Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain; and he shall bring forth the top stone with shoutings, Grace! Grace to it! I was once involved as the prayer-convener for a city-wide crusade, and most of the clergy involved were dismal, unbelieving wet blankets. The committee meetings were filled with gloomy thoughts and prognostications about the budget. Three of us, a charismatic Anglican pastor named Ian Thompson, his wife Shirley, and I - were the "believers". The rest were doubters. Well at one point the funding was indeed critical and the Rev. Ian Thompson took us to the above passage and had us - doubters and all - shout "Grace, grace to it" at the top of our voices, and I tell you - the shepherds looked sheepish! (Ian could get away with that sort of thing). Soon the breakthrough came and later we agreed it happened when we took God's word and declared "Grace, grace" to the mountainous problem. Not by might, nor by power but by My Spirit - The Holy Spirit often seems peculiar in the way He works. You would think, for instance that God would make sure that all the world's billionaires were evangelical Christians with the gift of generosity. This would seem to solve a lot of problems. Or maybe He would ensure that all missionaries in dangerous places would have a helicopter full of SAS troops hovering nearby. But instead the vast bulk of Christian ministry is done without the assistance of the billionaires, or the SAS or any other organ of might or power. God does not overwhelm by force, but transforms in quiet organic, humble ways. As the Spirit says a few verses later: "Zechariah 4:10 MKJV For who has despised the day of small things? For they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel." God does not despise the small things, He uses them. Far more earth is turned by worms than by tractors. Grace uses humble folk to solve big problems and to move mountains. It is not the size of the bank account or the sharpness of the intellect or the position in society that God cares about but the faithfulness and softness of the heart to the grace of God. A heart that willing receives grace can be made into anything. The Spirit is intimate with the Universe and knows its ways, its nooks and crannies and tunnels, and how it works and what it holds and what its future is - for the Spirit moves within it and upon it and renews it and sustains it. Because of this deep knowledge of Creation the Spirit can give us directions that at first seem bizarre, but are actually very wise. He can tell Phillip to leave an ongoing revival in Samaria and go to a desert road to meet an Ethiopian. He can tell Peter to visit a Gentile named Cornelius or Paul to go to Macedonia. He knows what will work far better than we do and can apply a small amount of force at a key point to achieve a spectacular result. The Holy Spirit also possesses miracle-working power. He can show up and do things that medical science cannot - and leave the doctors stunned, He can also transform personalities in ways that leave psychologists amazed. I once had a secular psychologist who worked in drug rehabilitation tell me "the only way people get off heroin is by finding Jesus" - but he himself remained an unbeliever! Not by might, nor by power but by My Spirit says the Lord! You cannot bring in the Kingdom of Heaven with an F-16. You cannot make disciples on an assembly line. You cannot triumph over sin with a cruise missile, and you cannot know the love of Christ by winning the lottery. Might and power are utter failures at achieving what really matters in life. You can be an air-force general or a millionaire and yet be without love or grace or meaning as a person. Might and power do not even achieve much even in non-spiritual areas. Zechariah is talking about a Temple building project, bricks and mortar, and even that would be the work of God! God can stop the Tower of Babel or enable the building of a Temple. God is in charge of what is allowed to go up and when it is going to come down. Zechariah calls God "Jehovah of hosts". The hosts were the heavenly army, the countless millions of angels and heavenly beings at God's disposal. He mentions them to remind us that we are not alone, we are part of a vast heavenly panoply. As Jesus said: Matthew 26:53 MKJV Do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He shall presently give Me more than twelve legions of angels? Jesus knew that God was not without resources and that those resources were not thinly stretched but overwhelmingly abundant and at the disposal of the saints. Romans 8:32 MKJV Truly He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? The greatest of God's resources is grace. Grace can change the obdurate, move the mountain, sanctify the sinner, resurrect the dead, heal the sick, calm the mind and provide for daily needs. When a mountain gets hit with grace it is the mountain that moves, when a storm hears words of grace it becomes still. Grace is more than just kindness, benevolence or forgiveness - though it involves these things. Grace is attitude plus action. Its God's kindness backed by God's transforming power. Here are just a few verses that indicate the close tie in between the grace of God and the power of God: Acts 4:33 MKJV And the apostles gave witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great power. And great grace was on them all. Act 14:3 Therefore they stayed a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who bore witness to the word of His grace, giving miracles and wonders to be done by their hands. Rom 12:6 Then having gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, if prophecy, according to the proportion of faith; 1Co 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace which was toward me has not been without fruit, but I labored more abundantly than all of them; yet not I, but the grace of God with me. 2Co 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that in everything, always having all self-sufficiency, you may abound to every good work; 2Co 12:9 And He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may overshadow me. Abounding, transforming, mountain-moving grace that flows from the Holy Spirit and not from human might or power! This is the stuff of real change, completed projects, amazing miracles and wonderful results in ministry! Zechariah 4:6,7 MKJV (6) Then he answered and spoke to me, saying, This is the Word of Jehovah to Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says Jehovah of Hosts. (7) Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain; and he shall bring forth the top stone with shoutings, Grace! Grace to it! Blessings, John Edmiston Were you blessed by Eternity Daily Bible Study? 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