Last fall, I read a book called Mindset. It changed my life. I now try to live every day with an open vs closed mindset. Everyone has expectations of what a pastor/church should be for them. The Holy Spirit is also moving in our midst if we allow her the freedom to do so, which could change our lives forever, giving them more depth and meaning.
I think we should continue to plow through the last two minor prophets in the Old Testament in this order:
•Malachi {4 chapters}: In a time of crisis, absolutely everything is important and significant. Our relationship with God comes to the forefront. During the humdrum times in life, God is crowded to the margins. We disregard what God has to say, as if he were not involved in such dailiness. Malachi alerts us to the crisis of God during times when the only thing we are concerned with is us. His final sentences evoke the names of Moses and Elijah, who respectively keep us rooted in what God has done and said in the past and ready for what he will do in the days ahead.
•Zechariah {14 chapters}: While Zechariah shared Haggai's task, he also worked to rebuild Israel's self-identity. His visions and messages helped recover the magnificence from the ruins of a degrading exile.
We as a church need to internalize these messages from God for us in our time.
I was encouraged today by the heading "This temple will end up better than it started out" and the last verse, "I've looked over the field and chosen you for this work."
Faith isn't just about us. It's about God reaching out to others through us.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment