November 5th Reflection - It's Time! - by Bill Lynch

Haggai 1:15b—2:9
The Future Glory of the Temple
On the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month.
In the second year of King Darius,in the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet Haggai, saying: Speak now to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, and say, Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Is it not in your sight as nothing? Yet now take courage, O Zerubbabel, says the Lord; take courage, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; take courage, all you people of the land, says the Lord; work, for I am with you, says the Lord of hosts, according to the promise that I made you when you came out of Egypt. My spirit abides among you; do not fear. For thus says the Lord of hosts: Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land; and I will shake all the nations, so that the treasure of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with splendour, says the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the Lord of hosts. The latter splendour of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts; and in this place I will give prosperity, says the Lord of hosts.

Reflection
Zerubbabel, Joshua and the remnant people looked around themselves and saw nothing but destruction. What once was great now lay in ruin. Yet it is out of ruin that God raises new life and new creation.

We once thought of Jesus body, down from the cross and lying in ruin in a tomb. But out of death, God raised up. God raised up to a new day and a new life. We live in a world of sin. We are sinners. But out of our sin, God chose to raise us up with Jesus to new life. God pulls us up out of the depths of sin and despair to a new life of hope and salvation. All out of God's love for his people.

What is in store is greater than what we see now. What is in store is that wonderful house of splendour full of the saints and filled with the Lord of hosts. You can see it now, if you but just pause and look. You can see it and have faith and hope in all that God has planned.

But, for now, we build. We go to work with the gifts God has given to us and apply all our efforts towards the new creation that God chooses for us to work towards. For, now we plant, we build, we follow in the path of our Savior, Jesus towards that new creation which God has planned.

This time that is now is no time for selfishness. The time is now to give of the blessings we have richly received. The time is now to give all we have to the glory of God. The time is now to build that Temple of flesh and spirit of church and temple and new life. The time is now to go to work with the gifts we have been given towards the glory of God. God is with us now. The time is now to build. The time is now to give it all to God. God's presence with us and in us and through us is the source of strength for all the work. The splendour of the Temple is given by God. The splendour of the work of hands and lives and spirits towards our God to give all the glory and honor and praise to God alone. Yes... the time is NOW.

Prayer
Lord, you pull us up out of the depths and give us new life. New life to live now to your glory. The time for you is now and always... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen