Do You Remember?

God is really using our time alone with Him to prepare us for what He has in store for all of us at New Life Community Church. As we continue to talk about the exiled Israelites return to Jerusalem and the rebuilding of the Temple on Sundays there is one portion of the story that I intend not to share but has been reinforced to me today during my quiet time with God.

It is found in Ezra 3:11-13. The Temple foundation has been laid and there is a mixed response to this monumental moment within the first 2 years of their return from exile. We see the younger generation rejoicing at the sight of the foundation and the cries and mourning of the older generation at the very same viewing of the foundation. The older remember the grand temple in Solomon’s day while the younger never knew it. The combination of cries and rejoicing can be heard “far away” the Bible says.

In my devotional these powerful words are penned – “It is said that the greatest obstacle to the latest move of God is the generation that experienced the previous move of the Spirit, and history confirms it. God obviously has a better plan. He intends for the older saints to guide, instruct, encourage, and support younger saints in their passionate pursuit of God. Anything less is sin.”

No matter where you find yourself on the spiritual maturity age range, one thing is clear – God will move on all generations and all generations need to move towards God. Peter recounts the words of the prophet Joel of how young men will see visions and old men dream dreams in his message in Acts 2 right after the Holy Spirit’s infilling.

DO NOT ALLOW your “self” to get in the way of what God wants to do in you and in all of us. DO NOT HAVE distaste for the passion to pursue God in a way that may seem different than your past, or your opinions. Rather DO ALLOW yourself to encourage all to seek God with ALL their hearts, minds, souls and strength. And DO HAVE distaste for the devil's schemes to come in and disrupt what God is doing and desiring for ALL of us.

In the end, all the mourning and rejoicing over the temple foundation had stopped and so did the work on rebuilding the Temple. They stopped work on it for 16 years!! WHY? They let the enemy discourage them, they let their pride get the best of them.

Then after 16 years, the prophet Haggai spoke these words in Haggai 2:3-9,

“Does anyone remember this house – this Temple – in its former splendor? How in comparison, does it look to you now? It must seem like nothing at all! But now the Lord says: Be strong…all you people still left in the land. And now get to work, for I am with you, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. My Spirit remains among you, just as I promised when you came out of Egypt. So do not be afraid.
“For this is what the Lord or Heaven’s Armies says: In just a little while I will again shake the heavens and the earth, the oceans and the dry land. I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will be brought to this Temple. I will fill this place with glory, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. The future glory of this Temple will be greater than its past glory, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. And in this place I will bring peace. I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!”

The rebuilding of the Temple then began shortly after that and when it began the prophet Haggai spoke again. This time he said this in Haggai 2:18-19,

“Think about…the day when the rebuilding of the Lord’s Temple began. Think carefully. I am giving you a promise now while the seed is still in the barn. You have not yet harvested your grain, and your grapevines, fig trees, pomegranates, and olive trees have not yet produced their crops. But from this day onward I will bless you.”

I crave for God’s presence so dearly that I do not want to wait 16 years. I will if I must, but I do not want that! We must work together in unity and purpose so that what we do know is the blessing of God upon our lives, our families, our church, our 3 block radius, our city, our county, our region, our state, our country, our world!!!!!!