“…be strong, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord, and work:

For I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts.”

(Haggai 2:4)

Greetings and blessings to each of you as we embark on the journey of a New Year! I pray that each of you experienced a wonderful New Year holiday and what a grand event we had on New Year’s Eve with “Back to the Future!” I am so excited about what God is getting ready to manifest in our lives, both collectively as a church body and as individual members.

The second chapter of Haggai begins with the prophet speaking a word of the Lord to the leaders & people of Israel. He asks a question, “Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory?” And then continues by asking them to compare what they saw then, with what they see now. For many, they saw the decline of God’s house because after Israel was taken into exile, the house of the Lord lied in ruins. The people were discouraged and despondent, thinking that with the destruction of the Solomonic temple, they would never see the house of God as before.

Even for some today, you look back over your life and remember how you had a zeal and love for God… how you would pray & fast… how you loved being at church… how your whole life was wrapped up with God! But you wonder if you can ever feel that way again? Well in Haggai, the Lord encouraged the people. Three times throughout that scripture, the Lord declares, “Be Strong” [or take courage]; but it ends with…“and work.”  (Haggai 2:4) The ‘greatest’ strength we can have is the assurance of knowing the Lord is with us. But even knowing the Lord is with us, for the accomplishment that is needed… we are commanded to work! Jesus gave us the example when he declared, “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh when, when no man can work.” (St. John 9:4) effort has to be made  

I believe and know that we are going to see the Lord do above & beyond. “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” (Eph 3:20). God’s going to throw His weight [the glory] around as never before! Yes, great things are before us. Be blessed knowing we are moving forward in spite of! Let us continue to pray one for one another. From my family to yours, enjoy a blessed New Year!

Pastor A. Glenn Brady