This digest is based on the third message given by Brother Titus Chu in this series. We hope that it can help bring you into the riches that we and others have enjoyed.
If you have not yet watched it, we recommend that you do so before getting into the digest. This will help you better appreciate each section. You can also follow along with the outline and read the associated verses.
Visions Change Us
Encountering Jesus is a basic experience in the Christian Life. When we are born again, this Vision changes us and brings us into a new path with God. Zechariah experienced such a shift when the Angel Gabriel appeared to him. This vision brought him out from the Old Covenant where he was a faithful priest. As what he saw became more clear to him, he became a buoyant prophet heralding the coming age of grace.
Zechariah: From Tradition to Grace
After hearing this message, brother Bob from Willoughby, Ohio was inspired to write this hymn, which walks us through Zechariah’s experience. Read the words, listen to the recording, and try to learn this song together!
A New Beginning
Zechariah (“God remembers”)
Elizabeth (“God swears/oath”)
John (“God gives grace”)
God’s remembrance and swearing bring in God’s graciousness or his grace. His graciousness allows our faithfulness to the old to result in something new. Out of our faithfulness to the old comes a new beginning.
The God of Grace
[I] really enjoyed this message about how we’re so used to our daily Christian life that we become accustomed to it, yet we forget what is the most important: Grace. During these times where we are physically distant is when we should fellowship more with our brothers and sisters and fill our lives with Jesus.
– Sister Melanie
“Because You Did Not Believe”
But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time
Luke 1:20 NKJV
What a serious word and consequence for Zacharias, mute for more than nine months! However, during this time it seems that Zacharias really pondered what was spoken by the Angel. Each day, week, and month that passed by with the realization that his wife Elizabeth was pregnant must have reinforced the words spoken by the Angel: “because you did not believe.” It is not that Zacharias did not believe in God or in His law, as he was a priest, but there was something new that God was showing him. Zacharias began to realize that there was his old belief in the law, in the offerings, in what man could do—but the reality of all of these things is God’s grace given to man.
Saints, do we realize that we know the Lord and still experience “because you did not believe”? How can we speak for God if we cannot hear God? Have we ever felt the Lord’s leading and ignored it? We too may have experienced failures like Zacharias, when the Lord would like to speak to us and/or through us. Instead, can we have a prayer like Samuel who, when the Lord first appeared to him, was able to say “Speak Lord, your servant is listening”?
– Daily Bible Verses and Devotional, Day 2
A Clear Declaration
Seeing how vision brought Zechariah into the New Testament age is marvelous! Through this sharing, I am struck by how those long months of being mute grew so many deep spiritual lessons within Zechariah. Afterwards, he so boldly and clearly declares how God’s salvation is bringing God’s people to the realization of the covenant with Abraham–the New Testament. My prayer is that our hearts would be open during these “mute” days so that we might emerge in the same clear, bold and buoyant way. Lord, renew us all!
– Brother Rex
Consider…
What lessons might God be trying to reveal deep in you through this season of limitation?
Zechariah’s Realization
Now in these nine or ten months, while Zechariah was considering and reconsidering, I believe his heart was opened — gradually — more and more. He began to realize, “The age has changed! We are no longer in the Old Testament age. Salvation — the savior we are waiting for — is coming! When He comes, everything is different.” Brothers, do you realize happened? At that time, Zechariah must have had such a joy: “Don’t you know who my son is? My son is not the Savior, but my son will be a man walking — running — before the Savior, and pioneering the way for the Savior!”
Do You Care?
One strong statement that came out from the message was “do you care?” Many saints responded to this charge. As you read or watch their responses, consider for yourself: Do you care for the visions which the Lord has shown you?
These words are so precious to hear, even I am not a good brother at all, even I want to change, I find I’m incapable to do so, through my tears I find Lord Jesus and he continues such a great salvation and I find I’m caring for others and able to speak to them with much assurance. Praise our God
– A Brother
Titus’ repeated question, “Do you care? Do you really care?” (20:08-20:32, 21:15-21:45, and 33:40-35:05) has stuck with me this week. I consider what the Lord has shown me so far, including the revelation of Jesus as my Savior and others, and ask myself “do I care?” Then I see and hear Titus’ ministering these past few weeks, and he says he wants to make 20-some videos on this topic – saints, that’s half a year of videos! This 85 year old brother wants to give half a year to be in *this*. Clearly, he has some care for us to be in these visions and revelations, and to see the responses of the people involved. Again, the question rings in my mind: “Do you care? Do you really care?”
Zechariah was greatly impacted by what he saw God was accomplishing. His whole outlook was changed. Why? Because he cared for what he saw – grace. God’s grace. Brothers and sisters, can you let this question sit with you as well? Do you really care for your salvation? Do you really care for the Lord? Do you really care for the church? Do you care for whatever visions the Lord has shown you? Do you really care?
– Brothers Caleb and Matthew
After the sharing when Timothy told us what Caleb and Matthew had said on Cleveland’s website, “Do you care? Do you really care?” I was very much convicted in my conscience. I began to consider that the real caring for what the Lord desires is in our spirit where the caring One resides. Our emotions can be stirred after hearing message 3 and our spirit say “Amen”, but how do we sustain a genuine caring for what the Lord desires; something new, something fresh?
Titus shared, “We are still fighting, struggling between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, between the age of law and the age of grace. When we are according to the law, we do things out of duty, but in His grace, we are short of nothing because we have the bountiful supply of the Spirit, which, or who is just Christ Himself. What is religion? Custom. We just get used to the way things are. We used to sing a song: We aren’t here for local church religion — it’s no better than the rest. Let’s not care for forms or regulations — only CHRIST NOTHING LESS!”
So, something new doesn’t come from merely changing our practices, it comes from enjoying Christ as grace in this dispensation of grace. It also requires our wanting to have a new beginning with the Lord day by day. Titus said our real church life is in our operation during the weekdays. Nobody can do this for you. It is our responsibility in accordance with this grace to enjoy the Lord day by day especially in the word till we see a vision or have some revelation and not just go to the word out of habit.
– Brother Bob Burhenne, the church in Willoughby, Ohio
How About You?
Our real church life is in our operation throughout the week
As mentioned in the preceding slide, this quote from the message struck a chord with brother Bob as he considered his own life. How about you? Can you have an operation throughout the week?
How might you co-work with the Lord outside of the church meetings? Who is he leading you to pray for, care for, call, and visit?
