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"Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve?"
--Hebrews 1:14 Four days before our Just Give Me Jesus revival held in the New Orleans Arena on the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, it was my privilege to meet with a group of local pastors and share with them the following message . . . In 538 B.C., Cyrus, king of Persia, issued a decree that all those who had been taken captive from Judah were free to return (Ezra 1:1-4). A small remnant of Israelites, led by Zerubbabel and the high priest Joshua, made the dangerous 800-mile return journey. They were irresistibly drawn to their beloved Jerusalem --- and to the heart of Jerusalem, which was the glorious temple built by King Solomon. On arrival they found all that remained of the devastating rampage of the Babylonians seventy years earlier was a pile of rubble. |
 | Within two years of their arrival in Jerusalem, the
remnant, surrounded by the ruins of their own homes and city, set about to rebuild the temple. They received stiff opposition from some and abject apathy from others . . . so they quit the rebuilding. For sixteen years they did nothing about the temple, while they tried to get their own homes in order. And then God sent a message through the prophet Haggai to stir the hearts of the people, inspiring | After touring the devastation in the New Orleans parishes, I met with a group of local pastors, seeking to encourage them from God’s Word. They, in turn, encouraged me and blessed me, asking God to equip
and empower me to “just give them Jesus.”
| them to complete the rebuilding of the temple they had begun so many years earlier.
God's message to Haggai was directed specifically to those who were weary of trying to rebuild the "temple"-- God's house, when their own homes, along with everything else, lay in ruins. Eerily, it was first imparted to Haggai August 29, 520 B.C., the exact day of Hurricane Katrina, |
although 2526 years earlier! And Haggai’s message is as relevant today as it was then. It’s been preserved to stir up those who are weary of rebuilding . . . those who have lost their passion for spiritual things. As God sends this AnGeL out as a ministering spirit to serve others, it’s a message I need to be reminded of myself. In essence, God told His remnant of workers four things that can be applied to His weary servants today: First: Give careful thought to your ways . . . build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored. Reorder my priorities. The things of God must come first. When I place a premium on the spiritual health of my own life and that of my family, community, church and nation, God will bless and everything else will fall into line. Would you join me in putting the Kingdom of God and His righteousness first? Second: The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house. Refocus my perspective. I need to stop comparing the way things are with the way things were, or the way someone else has done something with the way I have done it. I need to open my eyes to see things from God’s point of view. When I’m in His will, He works all things for my ultimate good and His glory. Blessing can come from brokenness, beauty from ashes, and glory follows the Cross . . . when I submit everything to Him. Would you join me in looking at life and other people and circumstances and problems . . . through heaven’s eyes? Third: From this day on I will bless you. Redirect my purpose. God is the God of second chances. I need to stop the frustrating futility of living in my own strength and on my own scheduled timetable; of being paralyzed by fears and past failures; of demanding my own way . . . and calling it persistent prayer. My life’s purpose is to live for His glory and pleasure alone. Would you join me in pursuing the goal of pleasing Him only . . . the goal to win the prize for which God has called you and me heavenward in Christ Jesus? |
Fourth: I have chosen you. Reclaim my privilege. As one who has professed faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord, I have been born again into God’s family and have the right to be called His child. He has chosen you and me to live for Him and to serve Him . . . for such a time as this. Would you join me in living a life worthy of the calling we have received? |  | The Bible records that God's people responded to His message. “So the... Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai the prophet . . . They finished building the temple according to the command of the God of
Israel . . . The temple was completed.”1 Approximately 550 years later, the glory of God came down! Jesus Himself walked and taught within the walls of the rebuilt temple. Ultimately, their service resulted in not just a rebuilding project, but in revival . . . in just giving Jesus to their beloved people, city, nation, and world.
| Perhaps the most powerful moment in the New Orleans arena during Just Give Me Jesus occurred when Sheila Bailey stopped her session on prayer to share the love and compassion of Jesus with this hurting woman. While she was the only one to spontaneously come forward, many others in the arena could relate to her brokenness and despair. In this Spirit-led moment, Sheila reflected a loving Father Who is never too busy or preoccupied to hear our cry, wrap His arms of love around us, and give us Fatherly counsel. |
When I look back on this era of national disasters as well as personal problems and pressures, what will be said of my life’s work? Will it be said that it remained unfinished because I became weary of well-doing? What will be said then is determined by what I do now. So . . . I refuse to let weariness waste my life or rob me of my eternal reward. This AnGeL will keep on serving as a ministering spirit as long as God keeps sending me!
So . . . let’s get back to work . . .
1Ezra 6:14-15
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In a country where “hockey is king,” Toronto’s Air Canada Centre is known as the place where fans come to worship their beloved Maple Leafs. But for September 29-30, the arena was consecrated as a “most holy place” when it became host to Just Give Me Jesus -- Canada’s largest-ever, multi-denominational women’s gathering. The women who poured into the arena formed a massive crowd that rivaled any hockey turnout. But unlike hockey games where the throng gains its strength by cheering en masse, the power in the revival audience came as each attendee experienced a personal, fresh encounter with Jesus. |
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