Haggai Series

• Hebrews 11:22 - By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones.

• Hebrews 11:23 - By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born,

• Hebrews 11:29 - By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land;

All these people were still living by faith when they died.

Continuing…. “So, don’t just say ‘We are God’s Chosen People’ do something about it. Prove it. Get your priorities straight. Honor Me with your effort. Take your saws, go up to the mountains, bring back some timber and rebuild My house, so that I may take pleasure in it.”

In response, the leadership and the people did something almost unheard of in Old Testament Scripture ---- they OBEYED!

“Then Zerubbabel and Joshua and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice God and the message of Haggai. ‘Woo Hoo’, said the Lord. Go tell My people, ‘I am with you’. So, the LORD stirred the spirit of Zerubbabel and Joshua and the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the LORD Almighty, their God…..” {Haggai 1:1-15 – Roshelle’s Revised English Version}

They CHOSE to COOPERATE with God and that task, which had seemed so impossible, was completed in just 4 years.

So, the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, a descendant of Iddo. They finished building the temple according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia. 15 The temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius. {Ezra 6:14-15}

Have you considered your ways today?

Priorities: What takes priority in your life? Is God #1 or is He somewhere down the list behind plenty of $$$ in the bank, a big house, a good job, an excellent school district….. etc., etc., etc., Are your priorities for your life the same as God’s priorities for your life? Who holds the pen of your life story – You or God?

• Matthew 6:33 – Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Faithfulness: A person can speak all he wants and use flowery language and make all sorts of promises about accomplishing this and that – but the truth is revealed in what he ACTUALLY DOES.

The truth of someone’s priorities is not found in his words but in his actions. Does your faithfulness match up with your claims of faith?

• James 2:17-23 - In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead….. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that -- and shudder. 20 You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? 21 Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend.