What to do when God probes our heart (Zechariah 7)
Zech 7:1-14 As in many European countries, church weddings in Hungary are not valid, so when I got married, we had to have a civil ceremony first. Since we considered the church wedding the real thing, we opted for a…
The challenge of the part we play in God’s kingdom (Zech 6:9-15)
Zech 6:9-15 What is the purpose of the Church on this earth? Is it evangelism and mission? Care for the vulnerable in the wider community? Worship? Discipleship and equipping Christians to do God’s will? Congregations may stress one or other…
Where is God and why it matters (Zech 6:1-8)
Zech 6:1-8 Friedrich Nietzche, the nineteenth century German philosopher, is best known for his statement ‘God is dead’. His point is that Enlightenment thought (especially the development of science) made God irrelevant and unnecessary as an explanation for the world.…
What comes after being saved? (Zechariah 5)
Zech 5:1-11 I read a quote somewhere a while back that marriage was invented to solve the problems you never even had before you were married, and the unexpected perspective made me smile. Many of us come to marriage as…
How to experience God’s presence (Zechariah 4)
Zech 4:1-14 At one point in my life, I found myself emotionally blackmailed. For anyone on the outside, it may seem an easy thing to get out of such a situation, but for those caught in it, it seems impossible.…
Is there a way out of sin and guilt? (Zechariah 3)
Zech 3:1-10 A common misconception Christians have is that the Old Testament people of God believed in animal sacrifices as the general panacea to the problem of sin. A close study of Leviticus 1-7 on the sacrificial system, however, should…
The challenge of God’s unexpected plans (Zechariah 2)
Zech 2:1-13 A year or two after I came to faith, the pastor of my church asked me if I had ever thought of becoming a pastor myself. My reply was a resounding ‘no’. The idea was so far out…
The remedy to losing heart in God’s work (Zech 1:18-21)
Zech 1:18-21 Most of us, I suspect, have moments when we look at our lives and feel its smallness, its insignificance. We may meet a person or read about the life of someone who has achieved great things for God.…
God’s reality we wish we could see (Zech 1:7-17)
Zech 1:7-17 As I write, the wars in Ukraine and Gaza continue and the rest of the world has troubles, too. Many are apprehensive about the future with the menace of war hanging over them. As we look at our…
Repentance that makes a difference (Zech 1:1-6)
Zech 1:1-6 As a teenager, I was taught by the church that we are all so mired in sin that our case is hopeless without God and therefore we need to repent of all our wrongdoing. While the principle made…