Chapter 2:20-23

1. God inspires flawed leaders, 2.20-23
 * Despite mistakes, sins and weakness
1. Grandfather (King Jehoiachin, taken to Babylon in the first exile in 597 B.C. by Nebuchadnezzar; 2 Kings 24:10-17) )
2. Exile (name = ‘descendant of Babel’); Not a great name and not a great heritage!
3. 15 years of failure

* But…God: “I will make…take…have chosen

* “The LORD Almighty” will see to it that the glory will be greater

* Paul’s example, Phil 3:13-14.
* “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
1. Forget guilt and pride, sins and victories.
1. Mindfulness helps reduce rumination and regrets about the past…But how?.…“Instead of going over and over past events, regrets and disappointments, we can observe the first thought and watch it come and go out of awareness. As we operate from what is sometimes called “the observer self”, we can step back from unhelpful rumination which can very quickly draw our mood into a low and depressed state.” Introducing Christian Mindfulness, Richard H H Johnston (Location 257)
2. Press on to win Christ – all of him, as much of him as you can get, both in sufferings and resurrections.
1. “It’s rare to meet people who have the Ambition to be hated and mistreated like Christ or the prophets. It’s rare to find someone whose Ambition is to suffer and die like the apostles. Location 1799, Until Unity, Francis Chan

Points (from the series) for Reflection and Discussion
* To what extent are we teaching about God? Jesus, Father, Spirit. “The LORD Almighty” – used a total of 14 times: Hag. 1:2, 5, 7, 9, 14; 2:4, 6–9, 11, 23.
* Do we really believe the future will be better than the past, and allow it to be different? What is that different vision where you are?
* If you are a ‘Zerubbabel’ leader of some kind, will you allow God to enthuse you? What guilt or pride of the past do you need to process, and what will help you to maintain a zeal to press on to the goal-marker?
* In comparing yourself to Haggai, where are you strong and where are you weak?
* Pointing the people of God to God
* Sustaining the people of God in their work for God
* Deepening the convictions of the people of God
* Inspiring flawed leaders of the people of God

Haggai spoke for 15 weeks and left a legacy that lasts to this day. Let us speak of God with conviction, love and honesty so that the glory will be greater.

What would you like teaching on in 2023?

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“Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)

God bless, Malcolm