Honor Your Roots! Honor Your Heavenly Father!

(This is preaching to the choir!)     
     This morning I was reading in Haggai and I read some words that seemed to fit some of our thoughts in this new season, and I was cautioned to be aware that we need to always “Consider your ways!", why? because God told us too! The whole verse is "Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Consider your ways!". And it even has an exclamation point!
     How does this apply to this new season? Well, the whole set of verses is about not neglecting God's house. This is a season of people developing their confidence in what God wants them to do and in walking in the power of the Holy Spirit. Yes, we are the Temple of God, but God still has a "house" that has been dedicated and consecrated to Him. 
     People have spent years gathering together to worship, teach and pray, focusing on our Heavenly Father, we cannot now begin to forget that because we are moving into our own more powerful walk that we can not maintain the gathering of the church body or the building.
     If we desire God's blessing on our walk and our ministry, we need to be careful to always heed His voice, to always work to bring glory to His name and His Kingdom. We cannot neglect anything that carries His name to pursue a "new thing". We cannot neglect the body or the building that is His face and representative to the world. Do walk the new path, but don't forget to honor our roots, go to your community church, contribute your energy and finances to maintain the home body while you reach out to the future in your new path.

“Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies desolate?” Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts, “Consider your ways! You have sown much, but harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes.”

Thus says the Lord of hosts, “Consider your ways! Go up to the mountains, bring wood and rebuild the temple, that I may be pleased with it and be glorified,” says the Lord. “You look for much, but behold, it comes to little; when you bring it home, I blow it away. Why?” declares the Lord of hosts, “Because of My house which lies desolate, while each of you runs to his own house. Therefore, because of you the sky has withheld its dew and the earth has withheld its produce.I called for a drought on the land, on the mountains, on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on what the ground produces, on men, on cattle, and on all the labor of your hands.”

Haggai 1:4-11New American Standard Bible (NASB)      

I Can Do All Things? Prayer Journal 7-3-2012

Good Morning Lord~
     Yesterday through this morning I have re-learned a lesson. Your word says "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Phil 4:13
     While Your word is always true it doesn't mean we can take it and stretch the truth to fit our situations. We can do all things that You call us to do, not just everything we decide we want to do! If You call me to go minister in the heat all day You will give me the ability to do that. If You don't call me then I should use wisdom and weigh my activities with my capabilities.
     The power, strength, honor and glory are Yours, Lord~ I am only a submitting vessel.
It is the wind that drives the sailboat and not itself.
It is the sun, rain and soil that gives the flower growth and not itself.
The sail for the boat is simply lifted and it goes! The plants simply sink their roots, raise their leaves and they grow!
     Lord, to You I lift my heart! In Your will and purpose I "sink my roots and raise my leaves", Let me go and grow in Your power and to Your glory!
     In Jesus name I pray! Amen~