A message from the LORD of Hosts through the prophet Haggai:
“Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?”
Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”
This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the Lord. “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands." (Haggai 1:4-11 NIV)
The people had become complacent; spending all their time caring for their own homes; their own needs rather than trusting God to care for them. Because they worried so much about themselves, they were neglecting the rebuilding of God's Temple.
The message today is simply this: build up the LORD's house - His Holy Temple. Now, I am not speaking of a building of wood or brick or mortar, but the Body of Christ, wherein dwells the Spirit of God. That Body is the Church. We (those who follow Jesus) are the Church. We are to be about building up this Spiritual Temple and we do this by hearing and proclaiming God's word, by receiving and sharing the Sacrament of His Body and Blood. Yes, the church building is an important factor in the life of a Christian. It is where we gather to be nourished by God as a family. A loving family gathers as often as they can at their home and cares for that home and others in it. We, who are members of the family of God; likewise, gather often to be nourished as brothers and sisters in Christ, fellow members of the Body of Christ, for the mutual edification (building up) of the Body of Christ, which is the Church, the Temple of God.
Build up the Temple of God - hear His Word, receive the Sacraments which He has freely given you by the very death of His Son, Jesus Christ our LORD. And... do not neglect to fellowship with your brothers and sisters in Christ.
God's Peace - Pr. J
“Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?”
Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”
This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the Lord. “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands." (Haggai 1:4-11 NIV)
The people had become complacent; spending all their time caring for their own homes; their own needs rather than trusting God to care for them. Because they worried so much about themselves, they were neglecting the rebuilding of God's Temple.
The message today is simply this: build up the LORD's house - His Holy Temple. Now, I am not speaking of a building of wood or brick or mortar, but the Body of Christ, wherein dwells the Spirit of God. That Body is the Church. We (those who follow Jesus) are the Church. We are to be about building up this Spiritual Temple and we do this by hearing and proclaiming God's word, by receiving and sharing the Sacrament of His Body and Blood. Yes, the church building is an important factor in the life of a Christian. It is where we gather to be nourished by God as a family. A loving family gathers as often as they can at their home and cares for that home and others in it. We, who are members of the family of God; likewise, gather often to be nourished as brothers and sisters in Christ, fellow members of the Body of Christ, for the mutual edification (building up) of the Body of Christ, which is the Church, the Temple of God.
Build up the Temple of God - hear His Word, receive the Sacraments which He has freely given you by the very death of His Son, Jesus Christ our LORD. And... do not neglect to fellowship with your brothers and sisters in Christ.
God's Peace - Pr. J
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