September Beacon

“We will not neglect the house of our God.”                                Nehemiah 10:39b

Haggai the prophet had a confrontative question for God’s people.  In Haggai 1:4, he asked, “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains in ruins?”

Haggai then recounted to them how things were going (which was not well), and why.  They were to give careful thought to their ways.  In particular, the LORD identified a little detail that needed some attention.  You get the idea of what was happening from verse 9.  “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little.  What you brought home, I blew away.  Why?”  declares the LORD Almighty.  “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house.”

That is what I would call a ’stinging indictment!’  And what a contrast to what we see in the book of Nehemiah.  God called Nehemiah to lead the returning exiles from Babylonia in rebuilding Jerusalem’s city walls - stone by stone.  Chapter 9 includes an awe-inspiring prayer that reminded the people of how God had cared for them in the past.  In chapter 10, the people took a stand on how they would give of themselves and their resources to carry on the LORD’s work.  The chapter concludes with, “We will not neglect the house of our God.”

Which of those two passages do you most identify with?

Redeemer Baptist just completed paying for a new flat roof.  Our thirty year roof lasted forty years (PTL!).  But it needed to be replaced, and it was.  That was expensive…and so was the new Yamaha piano that has been used in our worship for the past couple of years. 

Ministry can be expensive.  Redeemer helped about forty kids attend Bible Camp at Village Creek this summer.  That cost over $3500.  We also invested time, energy, and money to teach over forty kids at our summer VBS.  And did you know that Josiah Quant was recently hired to serve as our part-time Youth Director.  We look forward to his being with us as he leads our youth into God’s word.

A new year of Awana is just around the corner.  Our Sunday School has been a strength of our ministry and can continue to be as we invite others to attend this Fall.  Discussions about a new church van and the need to update our foyer have been on the ‘back burner,’ but need to move to the front.

Ministry is costly.  The next few months may say a lot about whether we relate more to what was written in Haggai 1, or what was written in Nehemiah 10.  ['WE WILL NOT NEGLECT THE HOUSE OF OUR GOD."]

Pastor Lerud