I WILL GO

The Problem

God’s people were apparently scattered and deceived because of false prophets in the past . This would have led to them being in exile THE prophecy of Zechariah (at least that contained in the first eight chapters) continues and supplements that of his contemporary Haggai. These two prophets were raised up and inspired to animate the flagging energies of the Jews, who, on their return from Babylon (B.C. 536), had begun to rebuild the temple, but were soon disheartened, and at length, owing to opposition of neighbours and adverse circumstances, ceased altogether from the work. Now after sixteen years’ intermission, encouraged by the accession of Darius Hystaspes, who looked with favourable eyes on their undertaking, the Jews had an opportunity of resuming their operations. Almost simultaneously with Haggai, Zechariah comes forth to enforce the same lesson, urging them to restore the house of the Lord, and inspiring them with hopes of a glorious future. the House of the Lord needed to be restored i’m not simply talking just about the physical house but we need to build the family the basic fabric of society. we need to rebuild the family altar that has been broken or neglected because of worldly pursuits. Poverty reeks havoc on society on account of unfaithfulness to God, on account of disobeying God’s word, on account of false teachers of the word, on account of unfaithfulness to God. People are perishing at a rapid rate going into Christ-less graves. Satan Making his Last Effort for the Mastery—The world is in copartnership with the professed Christian churches in making void the law of Jehovah. God’s law is set aside, it is trampled underfoot; and from all the loyal people of God, the prayer will ascend to heaven, “It is time, for thee, Lord, to work: for they have made void thy law” (Psalm 119:126). Satan is making his last and most powerful effort for the mastery, his last conflict against the principles of God’s law. A defiant infidelity abounds.

Ellen Gould White, Selected Messages From the Writings of Ellen G. White, Book 3 (Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1980), 424–425.

H. D. M. Spence-Jones, ed., Zechariah, The Pulpit Commentary (London; New York: Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1909), i.

The Solution

It is time for God’s true Church to pray! Ellen White: “As you stand here today, and see the defects of your characters in the light of God’s great moral standard, will you not say, ‘I will redeem the past; I will go to work in the Lord’s vineyard’?” (go to https://whiteestate.org/devotional/ yrp/04_30/). God will do—and has done—everything and anything to reach and save people. God will even “whistle” (Isa. 5:26; Zech. 10:8) if that will bring people to Him, if that’s what it takes to gain our attention well that is what God is going to do. A whistle is remarkable since it is shrill and travels over a long distance. A whistle gets people’s attention and makes them look toward the sound just like in a football match every sound of the referees whistle gets the attention of the players but a referee normally blows the whistle to start the match, to end the match or to call attention to an a infringement. However the text give the sense that the person with the whistle is a coach who is gather the team together the Hebrew word is אֶשְׁרְקָ֥ה shereqah, it means to give signal by whistling. Dennis R. Carlson is the director of Planned Giving & Trust Services at the General Conference, stated that God is willing to whistle to humanity if that will get their attention and bring them back to Him. He also stated that one of his favorite stories in the New Testament about God going to great lengths to seek and reach people who are unreached is found in John 4. This story tells how Jesus heard the whistle of God to go through Samaria.

Woman of Samaria

Jesus is in Jerusalem when He hears some news about the church leaders that is disturbing. He leaves Jerusalem with the intent to go to Galilee. Rather than taking the normal route that every Jew would take, Jesus took an unusual route that went through the cities of Samaria and the by the way we are going to have to get used to the idea that ministry/evangelism will not be what we are used to anymore it is a totally new paradigm. Scripture tells us: “But He needed to go through Samaria” (John 4:4, NKJV). Why did Jesus need to go the direct route to Galilee through the country of Samaria? Did He like the scenery? Was He in a hurry? Did He want to avoid the Jews? The last reason may have been valid, but I do not think any of the other three reasons explained the real motive for Jesus “to go through Samaria.” There was a whole town of people who needed to learn of God’s love for them. There was a specific outcast woman who needed to learn that God loved her. Even today, if you wish to travel from Jerusalem to Capernaum, there is no direct route. You have to go through either the Jordan River Valley route that most of the Jews in Jesus’ day took, or a route that parallels the Mediterranean coast. The coastal route (today’s Highway 6) is 121 miles (195 km, a 2- to 3-hour drive). To walk the same distance, for people who are used to walking everywhere, it would take 40 hours or two to three days. There is another reason that the highways today do not go directly from Jerusalem to Capernaum, which was also true in the time of Jesus. To go directly north from Jerusalem to Capernaum you must travel though mountainous terrain about two thirds of the way. It is almost impossible to get Google Maps to show the route on current highway 60. Highway 60 follows the same route that Jesus took since He “needed to go through Samaria.” The route that Jesus had to go was very strenuous, as well as politically incorrect. God guided Jesus to the city of Sychar and to this outcast woman. How is it that Jesus, who was used to walking days at a time, became tired and had to stop at this well in the heat of the day? Jesus was willing to say I WILL GO the hardest, most inconvenient way to Galilee to meet with this woman at a well in the middle of a hot day, not only to reach the woman but also the town where she lived. Jesus knew that this outcast woman of Sychar was interested in Scripture. Jesus was seeking to bring her thinking from the present to the future, and the temporal to the spiritual. Their contrasting conversation included: Physical water/Spiritual Water. Temporal worship/Spiritual worship. Once Jesus had her interest, and her heart was becoming convicted that who she was speaking with was Someone very special, Jesus confirmed that fact. Jesus answered, “I am he, I who am talking with you” (John 4:26, GNB). God was whistling

The Transformation

Jesus Went Jesus said, "I WILL GO!" Jesus at no other time while on Planet Earth so directly and clearly revealed who He really was. Jesus was willing to GO to Earth from heaven. Jesus was willing to GO the most difficult route from Jerusalem to Galilee. Jesus was willing to GO to Jacob’s well to reach the most unlikely person to be a missionary for God. All because Jesus was willing to say, "I WILL GO!" If Jesus was willing to GO to reach out to this solitary outcast woman of Samaria . . . If Jesus was willing to GO the hardest route on His way to Credit: Getty Images 22 October - December 2020 https://stewardship.adventist.org/ Galilee to reach the residents of the city of Sychar . . . . . . then Jesus is willing to reach each one of us at our well of decision. When we choose to be Christ followers, Jesus will then enlist our help in this outreach and ask each one of us to GO to those within our sphere of influence. Are you willing to tell Jesus, "I WILL GO"? When God whistles, I WILL GO!

Christianity and especially Seventh-day Adventist Christianity in not a spectator sport. it’s not time now to be in the stands of the world and be distracted, dis-attached, disinterested. The passion for the proclamation of the word need to be rekindled, reignited and restored. In our children; in the youth, in the seniors; in everyone