Haggai 1:2-11
2 “Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, saying: ‘This people says, “The time has not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built.”’”
3 Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying,
4 “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?”
5 Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways!
6 “You have sown much, and bring in little;
you eat, but do not have enough;
you drink, but you are not filled with drink;
you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm;
and he who earns wages,
earns wages to put into a bag with holes.”
7 Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways!
8 Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified,” says the Lord.
9 “You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?” says the Lord of hosts. “Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house.
10 Therefore the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit.
11 For I called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain and the new wine and the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.”
2:6-9
6 “For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land;
7 and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts.
8 ‘The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine,’ says the Lord of hosts.
9 ‘The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the Lord of hosts.”
Whatever God does begins IN THE HOUSE. When we purpose to align our lives with His purpose, the shaking of the Lord will come on a land.
If we want to see Him move heaven and earth, begin the work again in the house.
Think it through, build what pleases Him. Go to the mountain with the BEST MATERIAL and build what pleases Him. There are NO short cuts to this work.
Sin is contagious and holiness cannot be inherited. It’s how the church got to be “USED TO BE”.
I refuse to be a “USED TO BE CHRISTIAN”. C.N.N. – Detroit is being called the “used to be” city.
“This block used to be full of pretty homes and well kept yards.”
I refuse to have it said of me, “He used to be on fire.”
“He used to be holy.”
“He used to go to church.
He used to tithe.
“That building at 999 Sydenham Road used to be full of radical people”.
So how do we avoid the “used to be” title?
We must “Consider our ways”
God wants us to know that when we fail to esteem Him as our first love, we will always find a desert awaiting us.
I don’t want to be in that desert, do you?
“Used to be” is slow and steady.
When I read that article of Detroit I had an open vision, it was showing pictures of Detroit when it was at its best and God showed me the church and all of her glory and then the decay we are in NOW! I refuse to be a “used to be” Christian.
Mosques are being built all over our country, yet churches are closing daily.
The average church plant lasts five to eighteen years only.
The state of the church is in direct relation to the people gatherings.
We all know people who “used to” go to Church, “use to” be saved, “used to” be on fire and “USED to” tithe, “used to” be married. It’s becoming the most used word for Christians.
But we can turn it around; we just have to “consider our ways”.
We must stand with steely resolve and refuse to be a “used to be”.
If I used to read my Bible daily, I’m starting again.
If I used to pray daily, I’m starting again.
If I used to TITHE, I’m starting again.
If I use to be at every service, I’m starting again.
If I used to Praise at every service, I’m starting again.
If I used to share my faith, I’m starting again.
If I used to walk in love, I’m starting again.
Come on church, “consider your ways.”
Yours for revival,
Pastor Francis Armstrong
