Haggai 5 - Coming Messiah

The challenges so far have been, Consider your ways, remember the purposes of God, and come to him with clean hands. All these prophecies to the people stirred them up and got them back to work rebuilding the temple. We don’t know what else, if anything, Haggai heard from God. Maybe he spoke a lot, and this was the only thing recorded, or maybe this was it. This was the parts that we need to know about. This last prophecy though is a little different.

Operation World 1 - Preaching the Word

No matter if you have never known Christ for yourself, or if you have known him for years, never lose sight of the cross.

How important to you is the cross? A while ago I watched “How I met your mother” where Marshal recalls the perfect burger and drags his friends round New York until he finds it again. Is that how you feel about the gospel?

Operation Samaria 4 - The power of the gospel

Digging into Acts has been both a blessing and a challenge. The challenge is that this is a book of transition. Christ died and rose again, and at that point the new covenant came into force. The book of Acts takes us through the trials of the early church, moving from a subset of the Jewish nation to a world wide phenomena. Going from a small group of men following Christ to an organisation of thousands, millions across multiple cities. And also transitioning from the physical presence of Christ on Earth to the body of believers with Christ living in our hearts. The apostles struggled with this also. They did not have a big enough vision.

Operation Samaria 2 - Where you lead me

Are you listening to the leading of God?

There are three resources God uses on a regular basis to speak to us if we are listening.

• The Word
• The Spirit
• A messenger

Philip is guided by all three.

Operation Holy Land 10 - Plastic People

When we are witnessing to “religious” people, Stephen’s response is a good model for us to follow.

They know the bible, they have heard the words. It is time to make it real.

Operation Holy land 9 - Positions

The way we chose people for a job is not how Christ choses people for ministry.

Our way is to look at someones skill set and give them a role that uses those skills. Gods way is to look at where someone is spiritually, then he gives them the skills needed for the task he has in mind. He may be preparing you for a task already, building those skills, but it is your spiritual life that is key, not your skill set.

God does uses farmers to grow food, musicians to play music, and so on, but faith comes first.

Operation Holy Land 8 - The mission

Jesus gave a mission to the disciples just before he left for heaven, his last words on Earth.  The same purpose is passed on to us.

Matthew 28:19-20  

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.