In the morning I have been asked to give the devotions to the staff at the Christian school where I teach. My assigned topic is on the prophet Haggai. I have learned so much from my study of this minor prophet. Haggai is one of the Bible characters about whom we are not given much background. His name means festive or festival! He was part of the prophet team of Malachi, Zachariah and Haggai. His entire ministry took place with four months, and four messages. WE know he was a detail man as he dated everyone of his prophesies.
Haggai comes into the middle of a mess. The Jews were coming back from exile. Cyrus had allowed some to leave captivity- he sent them with wood to rebuild the temple. SO the children of Israel go back to Jerusalem they are all happy- we're free we have the lumber from Home Depot or Lowes . They build an altar, the lay out a foundation and then they start to have trouble with the neighbors. ( The Samaritans ) They were having trouble with some of the decrees of government.. so like many of us they laid back... they stopped showing up at the job sight. Then they started to borrow the special temple lumber and they start building their own houses and they have forgotten the temple of God. So in comes Haggai... Da da da DA!!
The first thing the people say to Him is "Ah, we don't think it is the time to build right now!"
Ouch....
So basically that is the start of my message, and as I am just a woman... I will be speaking ... not preaching! :)
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