HAGGAI

Haggai's name means "festive." He was a contemporary of the major minor end time Messianic prophet, Zechariah. They both minstered while the temple was being rebuilt by the exiles who were returning from the Babolonian captivity. While Haggai does not specifically adress end time events his message is an important end time message. Keeping the main thing the main thing is his message. This message is most important to the generation which will witness the glorious powerful return of King Jesus.

Haggai 1:3-8 Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet,

saying,

[Is it] time for you, O ye, to dwell in your ceiled

houses, and this house [lie] waste?

Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your

ways.

Ye have sown much, and bring in little; ye eat, but ye

have not enough; ye drink, but ye are not filled with

drink; ye clothe you, but there is none warm; and he that

earneth wages earneth wages [to put it] into a bag with

holes.

Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways.

Go up to the mountain, and bring wood, and build the

house; and I will take pleasure in it, and I will be

glorified, saith the LORD.

CONSIDER YOUR WAYS. THE REAL REASON THAT THE TEMPLE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT WAS DRAGGING IS BECAUSE THE PEOPLE WERE MUCH MORE CONCERNED WITH BUILDING THEIR OWN HOUSES AND FARMS THAN IN BUILDING GOD'S TEMPLE. THEY WERE SENT TO BUILD THE TEMPLE. THEY COLLECTED MONEY FROM THEIR FRIENDS IN BABYLON AND FROM THE KING TO BUILD THE TEMPLE AND THEY WERE USING THESE FUNDS TO BUILD THEIR OWN HOUSES AND FARMS. FOR THIS REASON GOD WOULD NOT ALLOW THEIR CROPS TO PROSPER. THEY WERE ROBBING FROM GOD, THEIR FELLOW JEWS IN BABYLON, AND THE KING. GOD IS THE SOURCE OF EVERY GOOD THING WE HAVE. GOD EXPECTS US TO PUT A MINIMUM OF 10% OF OUR INCREASE INTO THE SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL. IF WE DON'T WE ARE ROBBING FROM GOD. IT IS NOT SMART TO STEAL FROM GOD. IF WE ARE GIVING AT LEAST 10% OF OUR INCREASE TO GOD THEN WE MAY TRUST HIM TO PROSPER US. OTHERWISE WE WILL HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME WITH ALL FINANCIAL ASPECTS OF OUR LIFE. WE EARN WAGES AND THEY FALL THROUGH HOLES IN OUR POCKETS FASTER THAN WE CAN EARN IT.

Haggai 2:4-9 Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, saith the LORD; and be

strong, O Joshua, son of Josedech, the high priest; and be

strong, all ye people of the land, saith the LORD, and

work: for I [am] with you, saith the LORD of hosts:

[According to] the word that I covenanted with you when ye

came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear

ye not.

For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it [is] a

little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth,

and the sea, and the dry [land];

And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all

nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory,

saith the LORD of hosts.

The silver [is] mine, and the gold [is] mine, saith the

LORD of hosts.

The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of

the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place

will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.

BE STRONG, BE STRONG SAYS THE LORD AND WORK, FOR GOD IS WITH YOU. BECAUSE THE ALMIGHTY POWER OF GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT IS WITHIN US WE ARE STRONG AND WE SHOULD HAVE NO FEAR. WE CAN CHOOSE NOT TO BELIEVE THIS AND BE WEAK WIMPS FROM WHOM SATAN WILL STEAL, KILL AND DESTROY. WHAT WILL YOU DO? WILL YOU BE STRONG IN THE LORD AND CHOOSE TO LIVE A LIFE WITHOUT FEAR? OUR BODY IS THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. ARE WE READING THE WORD OF GOD EVERY DAY AND GROWING IN GRACE, KNOWLEDGE, UNDERSTANDING, AND FAITH. IS THE HOLY SPIRIT'S TEMPLE OF OUR BODY STRONGER AND MORE GLORIOUS IN FAITH TODAY THAN IT WAS YESTERDAY? ARE WE NEGLECTING GOD'S WORD AND ALLOWING THE GLORIOUS FAITH IN GOD TO DIMINISH, AND WITHER?

Haggai 2:15 And now, I pray you, consider from this day and upward,

from before a stone was laid upon a stone in the temple of

the LORD:

THINK ABOUT IT EVERY DAY. WE HAVE A CHOICE OF FAITH OR FEAR. OUR FAITH WILL GROW IF WE FEED IT. FAITH COMES BY HEARING AND HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD. FAITH MAY GROW BY TESTIMONIES, PREACHING, PRAYER AND MIRACLES. IN THE LONG RUN THERE IS NO TRUE EASY SHORT CUT. FAITH COMES BY HEARING AND HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD. PRAYER IS IMPORTANT. WHEN WE PRAY WE TALK TO GOD. YET GOD TALKS TO US WHEN WE READ HIS WORD. IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO KEEP THE CONVERSATION A 2 WAY CONVERSATION. What can we tell God that He doesn't already know? IT IS MORE IMPORTANT FOR US TO HEAR FROM GOD THAN FOR GOD TO HEAR FROM US. IT NEEDS TOP PRIORITY IN OUR LIFE TO READ GOD'S WORD EVERY DAY.

Haggai 2:17-19 I smote you with blasting and with mildew and with hail in

all the labours of your hands; yet ye [turned] not to me,

saith the LORD.

Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and

twentieth day of the ninth [month, even] from the day that

the foundation of the LORD'S temple was laid, consider

[it].

Is the seed yet in the barn? yea, as yet the vine, and the

fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath

not brought forth: from this day will I bless [you].

FROM THIS DAY AND FROM NOW ON OUT GOD PROMISES TO BLESS YOU. IS THERE ANY CONDITION ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROMISE OF BLESSING? THEY WERE PUTTING THEIR MONEY IN PURSES WITH HOLES IN THEM. THEY WERE LOOSING IT FASTER THAN THEY COULD MAKE IT BECAUSE THEIR OWN PERSONAL PRIORITIES WERE MORE IMPORTANT THAN GOD'S PRIORITIES. OBEDIENCE IS THE CONDITION OF BLESSING. GOD DESERVES TOP PRIORITY IN OUR LIFE. DOES HE HAVE TOP PRIORITY IN OUR LIFE? WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT THIS EVERY DAY. WILL WE GIVE HIM A CHANCE TO TALK TO US EVERY DAY BY READING HIS WORD? GOD ONLY WANTS TO BLESS US. WE CAN NOT TURN OUR BACKS ON GOD AND EXPECT TO BE BLESSED. THIS DOES NOT MEAN OUR LIFE WILL BE TOTALLY FREE OF ANY PROBLEMS OR TRIALS. IT DOES MEAN THAT GOD WILL BLESS US EVEN IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR LOSS, OUR GRIEF, AND OUR TRIALS. HE WILL BE WITH US AND BRING US THROUGH THE TRIAL.