Hag 1:4-7,9 Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house [of the LORD] lies in ruins? Now therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider your ways and set your mind on what has come to you. You have sown much, but you have reaped little; you eat, but you do not have enough; you drink, but you do not have your fill; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages has earned them to put them in a bag with holes in it. Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways (your previous and present conduct) and how you have fared.You looked for much [harvest], and behold, it came to little; and even when you brought that home, I blew it away. Why? says the Lord of hosts. Because of My house, which lies waste while you yourselves run each man to his own house [eager to build and adorn it].(AMP) Compared to the temple of the early church – today’s temple is in ruins. Compared to where GOD destines this temple to be – today’s temple is in ruins. Today’s temple - His church, is in need of workers that will forsake their house to build God’s house. You may say, “I think the church is fine… better than ever”. As we “consider our ways” in this book, we will see that this is not the case. GOD may have gotten your attention with this passage concerning how we earn wages to put them into a “BAG WITH HOLES”. Do you feel that you have sown much and reaped little? Do you minister and feel impotent in that ministry? Does your life seem to consist of activities that get you almost nowhere – both in the natural and the spiritual? GOD’s desire is to reverse this curse and His desire is to use this book to reveal to you “your ways” and exchange them for “HIS Way”. GOD will use this “lack of reaping” to get your attention. Do not ignore it! Do not fail to seek the answer to why you have a “bag with holes”. GOD’s house “sits in ruin” and the church has left the work of building this temple to the professional minister while we have paneled our own house. We have made the “natural house” - our abode. We have used finances (natural resources) for our own self-indulgence. We have used our calling and gifts (spiritual resources) for the sake of pride. GOD in this day is reversing the curse by calling you today to help build this temple. HE shall equip you even as HE RESTORES your own temple that the enemy has caused hurt in. Eph 4:11-13 And HIS gifts were [varied; HE(GOD) Himself appointed and gave men to us] some to be apostles (special messengers), some prophets (inspired preachers and expounders), some evangelists (preachers of the Gospel, traveling missionaries), some pastors (shepherds of HIS flock) and teachers. HIS intention was the perfecting and the full equipping of the saints (HIS consecrated people), [that they should do] the work of ministering toward building up CHRIST’s body (the church), [That it might develop] until we all attain oneness in the faith and in the comprehension of the [full and accurate] knowledge of the Son of GOD, that [we might arrive] at really mature manhood (the completeness of personality which is nothing less than the standard height of CHRIST’s own perfection), the measure of the stature of the fullness of the CHRIST and the completeness found in Him. The ministry is a gift to the church that has the purpose of first – to equip us for ministry work (temple building). Secondly, the ministry will edify and restore in our life what the enemy has destroyed. The ministry will build us up with the entire body of CHRIST. Ø When will this process stop? When GOD looks down from heaven and says, “They have become unified in faith”. When GOD says, “They have come into the CORRECT knowledge of the SON of GOD”. When GOD says, “they have become a perfect, mature man just like My SON – JESUS CHRIST”. These three things are the result of a – BUILT TEMPLE! And this we can be sure of – the building process will not stop until GOD can say these three things. Therefore the responsibility of ministry is to get ALL of us to this three-fold purpose that GOD sets forth in this scripture, in Ephesians. This is the three-fold goal or result that GOD calls our finishing line. It will take line upon line, chapter upon chapter in this book to define what this “three-fold goal” actually looks like. Let us remember that GOD is looking for a temple of unity, a temple of CORRECT knowledge and a temple of the same height as HIS SON – JESUS CHRIST. GOD measures this height according to the words that He speaks to you in scripture. These words become “revealed covenant” to you. GOD then dowses you with HIS Own ability to obey that revealed covenant.
Posted on: Sun, 03 Nov 2013 06:34:17 +0000
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