Zechariah’s Vision

A Clean Turban and a New Way of Thinking

 

At our Wednesday morning Praying Over our City, I have been sharing several short messages about Dreams from the Bible.  Today is about Zechariah the Prophet’s Vision. 

(Zechariah 3: 1-4) Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?”  - - Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.” Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put rich garments on you.”  

When we come to Jesus, we offer him our filthy garments of our sins of the past; and  He removes them.  In their place our Lord gives to us new fresh clean garments of Salvation:  A robe of His Righteousness, and garments of praise.  God doesn’t stop there because there is more work in us that he desires to do.  God continues because our mind and thoughts need changing and cleaning up.  Our mind is covered with dirty headgear from our old way of thinking. 

Zechariah 3:6 And I said, Let them set a clean turban upon his head. So they set a clean turban upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the LORD stood by. 

God isn’t finished with the new Born Again Christian.  He desires to renew the mind and this is done by the washing of the word of God as we read it daily.  Begin to see yourself as God sees you and make positive declarations about your self.

Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Helpful steps to renew your mind.

Step 1: Ask the Lord to guard and direct your mind.

My mind is the place of my intellect, reasoning, and intentions; my behavior begins in my mind, and my mind is where spiritual transformation happens From now on, I will do my best to start my day with a simple prayer: “Jesus, by your Holy Spirit, keep my mind firmly set where you want it to be focused today.”  

 

Step 2: Recognize the source of self-defeating thoughts.

Recognize the enemy, and fight him with God’s power and with Scriptural truth.

 

Step 3: Replace self-focused (poor me) thinking with a God-focused mindset.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8)

 

Step 4: Rest in the truth that you are accepted in Jesus Christ. 

Ephesians 1:6  To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he has made us accepted in the beloved 

Understand that the citizens of our city need clean garments and clean minds because from the mind comes the intent of the heart.  Let us pray that their hearts and will to become tender and open to the Gospel, and that they will allow Jesus to do a new work in their spirit and in their soul.