The Time Is Now

After Israel had been released from the Babylonian captivity they were instructed to rebuild the Temple. This account can be found in the book of Ezra 1-5 and Haggai 1-2. The problem is that the people did not rebuild the temple, but instead used the materials that had been given to them from the Babylonian king Cyrus to build very nice houses. Haggai who is a prophet at this time speaks out under God's direction and says something that shocks me to the very core. Haggai 1:2 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘This people says’, ‘the time has not yet come, even the time for the house of the Lord to be built.” God had given Israel instructions and the people ignored them looking out for their own interests and instead of God calling them “my people” He calls them “this people.” There is a severe disconnect between God and His people, so much so, that they are no longer “my” people. It is one thing to claim to be God’s people and it is another thing to actually be it. God’s people follow and do what He tells them to do. When you do not do what God has called you to do you fall out of the “my” people category and into “this” people.

The call that God has given us today and that we need to be doing is found in Matt. 28:18-20. Unfortunately I do not think we are living up to this right now and it scares me because I fear that God may be calling the church today “this” people and not “my” people. We have moved away from what God has called us to do and are doing what is more convenient and easy. Jesus picked a few guys and poured into them for about 3 years knowing that He could not be here forever and someone would have to take His place. The same thing needs to be happening in the church today. Jesus said “follow Me” in other words do the things that I do, yet we are not doing what Jesus did. Albeit we are doing some of the things Jesus did, but we are not following through with all that He did. We are doing the easy stuff and leaving out the making disciples of His command. He says that “All authority has been given to Him… Go,” which means that He is sending us with the same authority that He Himself possesses. Sadly I do not see this happening. The question then is this. Are you part of the “my” people or “this.” Haggai 1:2 “this people says the time has not yet come.” However, Jesus said John 5:25 “a time is coming and the time is now.” I think I will get on board with the time is now. I don’t want to be “this” people.