Consider Your Ways

Koinonia

Consider Your Ways

December 29, 2024 • Pastor Ray Viola • Haggai 1

Haggai was the first of the prophets to minister to Israel following the return from the Babylonian captivity. The period of Israel’s history during which he ministered is recorded in the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther. The reason and purpose for this powerful two-chapter book was this: The remnant of Israel had returned from Babylon and enthusiastically laid the foundation for the new Temple, but the work was interrupted in its restoration because of opposition from residents of the land. Ezra 3:10,11 tells us that the work started gloriously, but the work came to a sudden standstill for about 14 years.

The rebuke we read in Haggai 1:4 was directed towards an indifferent and apathetic people: Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste? The reason for the challenge/rebuke in verse 4 is because the people who claimed that they did not have the time to devote to the building of the temple of God evidently had found the time to build themselves luxurious houses that were paneled (not only on the walls, but also on the ceilings) with fine woods. So The Lord says to His people these timeless words that need to be spoken to us today. Consider your ways. This command is issued five times throughout the course of this prophecy (Compare verses in Haggai 1:5, 1:7; 2:15, and 2:18 (twice)). It is a plea on the part of God for the people to take note of what they are doing, compare it with what they should be doing, and amend their ways accordingly.

A “street way” of saying consider your ways is literally “put your heart on your roads.” Haggai asks God’s people to consider the priorities in their lives. It has been said that Desires dictate our priorities, priorities shape our choices, and choices determine our actions. Their actions, which were driven by their desires, prompted the exhortation consider your ways. The people made their excuses sound spiritual. They couldn’t speak against the idea or importance of building the temple, so they spoke against its timing. “It isn’t God’s timing to rebuild the temple.” The Lord Jesus best put the phrase consider your ways like this in regards to any excuses that we may come up with to put anything or anybody before Him and His call to Follow Him: Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Beloved, whenever a Christian makes the decision to prioritize their life around sowing and eating and drinking and clothing yourselves and earning wages instead of seeking first the Kingdom of God, their entire Christian life will be one of constant frustration and emptiness inside. The problem with the people of God in Haggai’s day and the problem with so many of God’s people today is simple: Distorted priorities often times lead to an indifference to the things of God and the glory of God. The temple of the Old Testament existed for the glory of God. And the Church today exists for the glory of God. One author wrote: A kingdom man is a man who visibly demonstrates the comprehensive rule of God underneath the Lordship of Jesus Christ in every area of his life, both publicly and privately.

As we near the end of another year and consider what lies ahead in 2025, the words of Haggai ring loud and clear. To consider our ways, we must purpose in our hearts to set spiritual goals that are in alignment with the Word of God and the purposes and the exercise of the gifts and call of God on our lives both individually and as a local fellowship. SELAH

What's Next?

November 24, 2024 • Pastor Ray Viola • Hebrews 10:24–25

Before our presidential election this year, an unbiased conclusion that I drew from listening to the television and podcast pundits on both the left and on the right prior to the election was one of extreme anxiety and great concern if “the other party or wrong candidate won”. Sadly, the levels of anxiety and concern about the outcome of the election were not much different within the church. But then I read this incredible article from Time magazine’s website that stated: “2024 is not just an election year. It’s perhaps the election year. Globally, more voters than ever in history will head to the polls as at least 64 countries (plus the European Union)—representing a combined population of about 49% of the people in the world—are meant to hold national elections, the results of which, for many, will prove consequential for years to come.” With that thought in mind, I asked myself, and now I am asking you my dear brothers and sisters in Christ, of those 64 nations, that consist of nearly half of the planet’s population, where or in Whom does a born again Christian’s peace come from as a result of the outcome of their elections? Where or in Whom does a born again Christians peace come from if they have no choice at all in the outcome? Almost immediately, I began to think of our brothers and sisters in Christ who live in nations where Christianity is a crime, where owning a Bible or being publicly water baptized or witnessing will land you in prison or cost you your life. Can those brothers and sisters have the peace that the Bible promises if they live in Kabul? Gaza? North Korea? Is the promise of peace only good for the saints who live in the USA if the right candidate or political party wins? Think of answering that question if you were a believer like Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Nazi Germany during World War 2, if you were a believer who was thrown to the lions in the Roman Colosseum, or beheaded along a beach by ISIS radicals because you would not recant your faith in Christ. I told Lizzy as we were watching the election results, “We do not know who will win the election, but this much I can tell you….we can go to sleep tonight and wake up in perfect peace because tomorrow morning the solar system is going to be running like a clock. Tomorrow morning those waves on the Gulf of Mexico will be flowing the same way that they are tonight. That beautiful sunset that we have seen will be there tomorrow, and it will not depend upon who wins the election, or who is the elected leader of any other 63 nations”. The basis of my answer is found in Daniel and Revelation. In Daniel chapter 4 in verses 17, 25, and 32, it emphasizes the importance of knowing that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. Dan 4:35 adds, And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou? Prior to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, we read in Rev 19:6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Read those words again beloved and think of being a Christian in any of those other 63 nations, under any form of government. The Most High rules in the kingdom of men and The Lord God omnipotent reigns. End of discussion. Beloved, the source and degree of our peace in this life stems from Who we believe is in control of these 5 things: the universe, this planet, this country, this church, and your life. Here are our options: Man, Satan, or The Living God. Beloved, my message today is far more practical, and far wider and more comprehensive than the political realm in our nation. One is a declaration: as Bible believing Christians, our only source of peace and rest on this crazy planet lies in the fact that our God reigns and that my times are in His hands. And two, is a question: Has the outcome of any election in any nation changed the mission of the church? In light of the fact that Jesus is coming again, how then should the church be living? SELAH

A Fire to Warm and a Torch to Shine

November 17, 2024 • Dylan Ocorr • Acts 4:31–35

The Christians are the only light for culture. There is no other hope to brighten up a dark world than for the redeemed of the Lord to rise up and shine. But what does that look like exactly? How does the heat and light of the gospel flood into a cold and dark world? When the believers prayed for boldness in Acts 4, it wasn’t a simple prayer for a little more courage than they had before. It was a desperate plea to God to help them keep their flame lit. They were faced with a serious problem - Peter and John (their leaders) were threatened by those in power. So they turned to God with one accord and prayed that he might strengthen them to continue to obey and preach the gospel. The result was two-fold. They (1) boldly proclaimed the word of God to the outside world, and they (2) built a vibrant Christian community. In other words, they cultivated a blazing fire around which they gathered with their brothers and sisters in Christ, and they lit a blazing torch which they carried to the outside world. There was a fire to warm them and a torch they shone on the world. When the smoldering embers of their spiritual light were threatened, the Holy Spirit fanned their community and evangelism into a ferocious flame. They had a strong base and a strong attack. They lit themselves and the world. This community was no ordinary social group. It was characterized by a radical selflessness and profound sense of unity. We find these same words - “selflessness” and “unity” - used in the secular world. But when they are used (or rather, simply mused) in those circles, they are thought of in a much lower grade. An ancient hieroglyphic compared to the vivid picture of an overpriced TV from Best Buy. The selflessness and unity of this Acts 4 community would send shockwaves through the world today. Much like how a caveman might respond to seeing the glimmer of a new 60-inch Samsung. A Christian community, properly set ablaze, will shine with stunning distinction against the bleak communities that the world offers. In the US Army survival manual, there is a chapter on building a fire. The last sentence of the intro to that chapter says this, “Remember, weigh your need for fire against your need to avoid enemy detection.” Fires provide all sorts of benefits to those who are around them, but they also draw the attention of the enemy. The stronger the fire, the easier the target for the enemy. Thus, the plea for boldness and power, of necessity, accompanies a people who have a well-flamed community. That’s how the light works. It repels the wolves and attracts the sheep. And there are yet many “other sheep that are not of this fold” and Jesus will “bring them also and they will listen to His voice”. So let us inflame ourselves by the Holy Spirit, so as to bring in as many who are fleeing from the darkness as possible.

The Only Light for Culture

November 10, 2024 • Dylan Ocorr • Matthew 5:14–16

With the 2024 election over, you may feel that you have your ‘man’ in the White House. You may feel thrilled at the possibility of the US government over the next 2-4 years. You may feel that a major victory was just won for the sake of the pro-life movement and the Biblical sexual ethic. But don’t rest on your laurels! It is a grave mistake to feel that a political victory is a complete victory. Even if all the right laws were to be passed, Christian Supreme Court Justices appointed, state constitutions re-written for the glory of God, and the Chick-fil-a sauce recipe was leaked… there would still be work to be done. The laurels are not yet complete. They are yet to fully blossom. Don’t rest on a rose bud, you’ll crush it before it blooms and snuff out its glory. Jesus said that the Christian people, those who have been born again and filled with the Holy Spirit, are the light of the world. The only hope for a dark world is light. And the only light that exists is that which the Christian carries in his spirit. Too often we forget this glorious truth and think the “light” of God to be housed in some ideal or doctrine. We consume ourselves with talk of laws and policy, as if those legal statutes carry the light of God in them. They do not. They may point to the light, but they are not the light themselves. WE are the light. Those who are born again by the Spirit of God, are alone the light of the world. Shall we fight and advocate for righteous legislation in our land? A thousand times ‘Yes!’ For when the laws of a nation reflect the glory of God, they clear the skies for the sun to shine. They weed out the garden for the rose to bloom. Any Rochesterian knows the daily slog produced by those long and cloudy wintry months. Our moods swing low, seasonal depression rises as the sun hides. But those occasional February days, when the clouds part and the sun gleams off the perfect white snow - they remind us that there is a sun, that it is warm, and the dreary days will soon end. Righteous laws have the same effect. They clear away the moral and social fog. They warm up the soul and remind us of God - that there is a real moral standard. But they only clear the way for the light to shine clearly. And what is that light which righteous laws make room for? It is the light of the transformed soul. It is the light of the “glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” to which a person has been totally awakened to. If that light does not shine like a “city on a hill”, then what good are the laws? What good is the clearing of the skies if the true light is but a dim whimper of a single candle. LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE! You are the light of the world. No doctrine or law can light up the dark world, but only you! Only the soul that has been transferred from the “kingdom of darkness” and “brought into the light” can emit the light that the world needs. The laws may clear the skies, but you must shine the light. You are the light of the world.