Give Careful Thought to your Ways

Psalm 69:9 – For the ZEAL of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.

Haggai 1: ^7-9 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. ⁸ Go up into the mountains and bring down timberand build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored," says the LORD. ⁹ "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 his own house.

Galatian 5:7 - You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?

It is a good thing to have a ZEAL for the house of the Lord.  To be excited about the House of the Lord.  To desire to be inside of the house of the Lord.  To want to bless the house of the Lord.  To want to do whatever you can to assist in building upon the house of the Lord.   When you love the Lord, you will not allow anyone to insult Him to your face.  It is like someone speaking evil of your parent to your face.  When you love the Lord you also love your pastor, and when others insult your pastor it will be as though they insulted you as well.

Topic:  Give careful thought to your ways

and have a zeal for HIS House

Subtopic:  Too busy with my own house------in my own house to be concerned about the House of God.

A Lack of fiery passion for God’s house can reveal something about ourselves.  The side of us that we dare to look at, let alone accept.  Stop being in denial and face the truth.

Haggai 1:3-11 (New International Version)

 ³ Then the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: ⁴ "Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?"

Is it time for us to be kicked back in our apartment or houses and not giving any thought for the House of the Lord?  Have you tithed into the House?  Have you offered to help in the House?  Have you tidied up in the House?  Can you not wash a dish?  Can you not bring cleaning products.  Are you so UNCONCERN about God’s House.

 ⁵ Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways.

 ⁶ You have planted much, but have harvested little. (To work hard, but reap little)  You eat, but never have enough. (Never enough food)  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."   (Your money does not last)

GIVE CAREFUL THOUGHT TO YOUR WAYS

 ⁷ This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. ⁸ Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored," says the LORD. ⁹ "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 his own house. ¹⁰ Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. ¹¹ I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the oil and whatever the ground produces, on men and cattle, and on the labor of your hands.

Lord, Give me a ZEAL For your House

Psalm 5:7 -But as for me, I will come into Thy house in the multitude of Thy mercy, and in Thy fear will I worship toward Thy holy temple.

Psalm 27:4 - One thing have I desired of the LORD; that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in His temple.

(This may be speaking of the heavenly church – oh Hallelujah)….How can we make the heavenly church if we dread the earthly church…Help Lord, Help Lord, Help Lord…Help me to love what you have for me now, so I can enjoy what you have for me later.  That will I seek after-  Every time you press your way to the house of the Lord you are submitting to the earthly church because of your desire to be a member of the heavenly church.

Psalm 36:7-9 How excellent is Thy lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the bounty (Abundance) of Thy house, and Thou shalt make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures. For with Thee is the fountain of life; in Thy light shall we see light.  (The fountain-Holy Ghost/Light-The Word).

Psalm 42:4 - These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God,with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng.  Throng – To surround or push through a crowd.

Hebrews 10:25 –New International Version - Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Going to church is like going to a meeting.  To meet together to learn about what the perfect will of God is for our lives.  It is a meeting place of the Holy Spirit with His People, and Jesus is the leader!