Haggai chp. 2

i missed a day AND i have already commented on haggai chp. 2 .  don't worry i have confessed my sin to the Lord and he is faithful to forgive me... :-) when i started this thing, way back....on....monday,  i told myself if i posted to this 3 or 4 times a week i would be happy.  so, that is just an fyi...

verse 15-19

they are heavy for me today.  God is speaking, through Haggai...let me say that again, God is speaking!  the actual words of God...He says this, 

" 'Now give careful thought to this from this day on -consider how things were before one stone was laid on another in the LORD's temple. When anyone came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten.  When anyone went to a wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were only twenty.  I struck all the work of your hands with blight, mildew and hail, yet you did not turn to me', declares the LORD.  'From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought to the day when the foundations of the LORD's temple was laid.  Give careful thought:  Is there yet any see left in the barn:  Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit.

" 'From this day on I will bless you.' " (NIV, emphasis mine)

i am sometimes so busy, i dont give careful thought.  and when i get busy, there are times that it seems like i never get ahead.  God is saying to His chosen people here, always remember, give careful thought to how it was before you obeyed me.  you worked hard and i struck all of your work down because i was trying to get your attention!  Yet you did not turn to me!!  seriously, that is me, to this day...that is me!  but then the Lord says this, from this day on....this day when you obeyed me...from this day on, I will bless you!  wow! that sounds like a pretty good deal to me.  i want some of that...i want to give careful thought to my ways, i dont...but i want to.

how bout you?  what do you want?

im going to spend some time with my wife and kids for the next couple of days...so, probably see ya in a week or so...

Haggai chp. 2

people sometimes ask what the Lord is doing in my life.  actually they ask something like this, how is your ministry?  what ministry are you plugged into at XYZ church?  it is kind of comical, really...imagine someone asking you that and me repeating it in like the whitest, most annoying, smart voice...cocking my head to the side...  see, i told you it was kind of comical.  my "ministry" now doesn't look anything like what it used to.  and sometimes i think it isn't as holy or as meaningful.  i love how the Lord speaks through his prophet here in verse 3.  He says, to you who knew how the temple was before it was destroyed (my old ministry) how does it look now? does it seem to you like nothing?  my answer would be a resounding yes!  i am not even a member at a church, i dont serve at a church, i just attend...one service, can you believe that?  

today, through my small group and some others, we are giving $828 to a family that was contemplating going to mexico to get dental work done b/c they hit financial hard times.  i will be around no less than 30 lost people today and i will let my little light shine towards them in a  relevant, non-invasive ways.  today, i will minister to all sorts of my family by holding true to my principles and my values in a business environment.  today, i will minister to my kids and my wife just by serving them in some small capacity so that they know i love them by my actions...not just words.  today, i will do all of these things because Jesus made a deal, a covenant,  with me.  just like the jews, God made a covenant relationship with...'For I am with you' declares the Lord Almighty.  And my spirit remains among you.  Don not fear.'  because Jesus is with me, that is why.  that is why i will do or be a part of the things that i will do...and how much bigger is that than any temple?  any ministry?  any itty-bitty little thing that we would attempt to "box" God up as?

the rest of the chapter is full of great ness...i am done writing with that thought though.  God saying, for i am with you ... 

Haggai chp. 1

the book of haggai is a funny place to start.  it is funny to me, b/c it is relatively obscure, and b/c it has been used and talked about in "my world" for about 2 years now.  francis chan out in california did a sermon series on this book a couple of years ago, then a small group (home bible study group) that i am part of did a study on the book, then the pastor where i was attending did a message series on the book...so this relatively obscure book in the old testament, is one that you might say i have read a couple of times!  but it's impact is still huge... some thoughts...

so, God is going to speak through haggai.  and apparently he isnt too pleased with some of their actions.  "these people say, 'the time has not yet come for the Lord's house to be built.'"  when the Lord speaks through a prophet and He starts off with an accusation...not good.  he continues, "is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?"  ok!  who doesnt think that God gets sarcasm?  seriously??? i think this is speaking to the desire within us who are selfish.  you know that feeling, the one of knowing what is right...but not choosing what is right.  and we can justify it, manage it, rationalize it, explain it and defend it....then the Lord comes and just blows it up with a little sarcasm.   

then the next two paragraphs are similar...and i dont know what they say, except the one thing i know they say.  "give careful thoughts to your ways..."  a little wisdom for us.  the ways i choose matter, so i should give careful thoughts to them.  God goes onto tell the people who really is in control and there is this line at the end of the next to the last paragraph..."and the people feared the Lord".  not like afraid of, but kind of.  more like reverence "feared"...but i think kind of afraid of too.  if the Lord had just peeled back your motives and you were caught living for yourself and not really caring about him...and he explains that he controls everything...i would be afraid!  maybe he is telling me that!  proverbs 1:7 says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge...maybe for us to fear the Lord, he has to show us some things, ask us some questions, subtly strike some fear into us.  so that we get on with the plan...the last paragraph says 23 days after this story started, the people started to work on the house of the Lord.  

what do you need to start?  what in this chapter speaks to you?  there is more i COULD have done...but this, today is a start for me.  have a great day!