TITLE: LET US CONSIDER OUR WAYS.
Haggai 1:1-15-
Haggai 1:1-
1 In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jozadak,[a] the high priest:
2 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house.’”
3 Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: 4 “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?”
5 Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. 6 You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”
7 This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. 8 Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the Lord. 9 “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. 10 Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. 11 I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.”
12 Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord.”
The word, let consider our ways is a call for a rethink of our conduct with a sincere self evaluation. That is what God want us to do daily in this evil and tempting world. God want us to check our daily activities and line up with His word so that we can operate in the spirit of obedience.
Nothing pleases God than building His Alter where His presence dwells. When I said building God's Alter I mean any little efforts that you can put to keep the house of God in good shape spiritually and physically. There are always a lot of things that any faithful and committed child of God can do in the house of God without been persuaded or reminded by the pastor all the time.
To be part of the builder of the God's house, one can be a dust cleaner, a sweeper and floor shiner, the one that changes light bulb, the one that emptied trash bins, and the one that arranging sitting chairs. After all, this are things that we constantly do daily in our individual homes without been reminded then how much more doing it for God.
Beloved nothing also angers God than neglecting His Holy Alter. As seen in the book of Haggai 1 :1-15, because God’s house was neglected, everything that people did humanly possible to succeed did not prosper nor yielded any positive result.
One of the things that will put God on His toes to bless His people speedily is to be a diligent, faithful and obedience worker in God’s house. Whatever you can do to keep the house of God not to be in ruin, do it because there is always exceeding greater reward that comes with it.
No one ever put God first and God will put them last. Mathew 6:33 said it all. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and its righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.”
One of the major problems in today’s churches that saddened my heart is that, most people in church purposely refused to participate in the ministry’s activities to build the church of God because they are not in leadership position or been recognized all the time. They expect recognition and rewards from the church Authority all the time but not from God.
Anything in the house of God that needed to be done to help build the house of God even without the knowledge of the pastor, do it and position yourself for heavenly rewards. It is unfortunate that in the house of God, some people don’t want to be an usher, the one pass offering baskets, or the one that serve the need of others.
Years back, the Holy Spirit revealed something to me and it changed my life completely. The Holy said to me as I was cleaning the house of God one day. ‘’ THERE IS NO SMALL POSITION IN THE HOUSE OF GOD IRRESPECTIVE HOW LESS FANCIED THAT POSITION MIGHT SEEMS.’’
When the Holy Spirit said these words to me, the word of King David in the book of Psalms 84:10 came to my mind. ‘’ Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I will rather be a door keeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tent of the wicked.”
What the Holy Spirit whispered to me was a call for humbleness to do anything we can without hesitation not to put the house of God in ruin. The Holy Spirit literally said to me by doing this, you are putting yourself in a spiritual spotlight for God to notice you in doing what others feel they are too big to do for God.
Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please God, for He who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him”.
The word diligent in this context means been consistent in the things of God despite what comes our way. God don’t want us to be spectators in His house but participants. He wants us to get involved and work with him to build his kingdom here on earth together.
Be blessed.
Bishop Ani Jacob
Founder and president of Christ Ambassadors Ministries Int’
Jonesboro, Arkansas, United States.
Email: Christambassadorsministries2013
www.camifamilyoflove.org.
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