And the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: The fast of the fourth month and the fast of the fifth and the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth shall be to the house of Judah seasons of joy and gladness and cheerful feasts. Therefore love truth and peace.
“Thus says the LORD of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities. The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, ‘Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the LORD and to seek the LORD of hosts; I myself am going.’ Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the LORD. Thus says the LORD of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, ‘Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.’” (Zechariah 8:18-23 ESV)
Many are going to come. And all people will stream to God, or as it says in this passage, “People will grab hold of the robes of a Jew.” They want to be with God so much that they are finding a way, even making a way to get to Him. People are drawn to Him…
Yet when they drawn to Him do they find Him or do they find us…
Many are coming and going just as fast. It is described as the back door. We are so concerned as followers of the way that people come to know God, but we are pushing them away just as fast as they are coming to us, because we try to make them look and act like us. If they do not conform to the way we all act in this gathering they are shunned and no one notices as the slip out the back door, because we are worried about assimilating the new people that are showing up… The is a place where the Borg got it wrong, resistance is not futile, and resistance is exactly what Jesus gave us, and showed us. Resistance of religious norms and following the rules and looking good in the eyes of others, and being far from where God has called us and wants us to be.
Why do people come to your place of worship? Is it something you did? Something your pastor did? Some program you have? The bible tells us that God is the only one that brings people to Him, and He adds to the numbers of the gathered… We can take no credit for anyone coming to worship. God might have used us or worked through us, but God did it… And when they get to our place of worship are we helping them connect with God, or are we pushing them further away… Maybe the Borg need to teach us in the church that we need to loosen up, and allow the people that God is bringing to be a part of us to be the part that God has brought them there to be. Maybe we aren’t suppose to conform them to our ways, but we are to conform to them…
Everyone will come… Because God caused it to happen. So allow what God has brought to you to help you grow closer to Him, rather than trying to change what was brought into your image. Maybe this new person is here so that you can come to God too…
aSacredRebel 