There Will Be Glory After This! Series

1Corinthians 6:19-20 “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.”

The challenge is to take courage and journey on. Jesus makes two powerful statements in John’s Gospel: Joh 4:23-24 “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."

Joh 9:4 “I must work the works of him that has sent me while it is day. [The] night is coming, when no one can work.”

Jesus though the earthly temple was important, it pointed to some thing more important. Christ himself is our dwelling place and we are charged to work while it is day. Do not allow discouragement and disappointment to stop you. We are called to continue to work. We are called to take courage and be strong. His presence is with us, His power is available, His promises are sure. We have history with God. He is a covenant keeping God and we can depend on Him. Haggai's point is that our choices matter, and the faithfulness and obedience of God's people is part of how he has chosen to work out his purposes in the world. This surprising reality should motivate us to continue working in humility and to be determine in our actions as we live in the hope of the manifestation of God's glorious Kingdom.

God will send renewal to our minds and hearts as we embrace His promises. We must see His vision because what we see makes the difference; what we believe determines our actions and finally, what we will experience is the manifested Glory of God. There will be glory after this! Raise your level of hope and begin to believe God’s promises. The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former', pointing to the spiritual glory which would arise from the presence of the Christ. On calvary, Jesus paid the sin debt, removed every obstacle out of our way. Regardless of the circumstances, in this place we have peace with God, peace within, and peace with others. John 14:27 Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” Your story ends in victory!

The songwriters, Civilla D. Martin and Charles H. Gabriel said it the way,

“Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come, Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heav'n and home, When Jesus is my portion? My constant Friend is He: His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me; His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

"Let not your heart be troubled, "His tender word I hear, And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears; Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see; His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me; His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me. [Refrain]