In Part 1 of my new series on the commencement of a Ladies’ Bible Class in Cotacachi, Ecuador, I introduced you to 4 Gemstones – a Ruby, an Emerald, a Sapphire and an Opal, and of course, I made mention first and foremost of the most precious Jewel there is, the “Pearl of Great Price” – Jesus! What a Jewel – beyond compare!
I am so happy to introduce to you an Amethyst – Cindy. Cindy and her husband Dan are from the USA, and they own a first time ever in Cotacachi, a Christian Bookstore, and a Restaurant, known respectively as Solid Rock Libreria and Solid Rock Restaurant. One store supplies food for the spirit and the other one food for the body. Both of them benefit the soul. Thank you Dan and Cindy for making available to us your premises in the infant stages of our Bible College.
It is 27 January 2011 and we are favored with this spot in a small, new shopping center in Cotacachi, Ecuador. What an environment in which to be, in the courtyard in front of two Christian Stores – Solid Rock Libreria/Restaurant.!Our lesson in this third week of the first baby steps of our College, was taken from Haggai 1:1-15; Haggai 2:1-5 and Zechariah 4:10. The title of the message was “Begin to Build”. Our little cluster of 5 Gems was in for one of the most blessed times.
Join in with my “Jovial Jewels” as we look at what God shared with us this morning. In our first class we looked at the vision that God gave to Zechariah, who was to encourage Zerubbabel to continue building the new Temple, where he left off. God stressed that he would accomplish his task only through the power of the Holy Spirit. In our second class we considered “Go! Gain Ground!” When God calls us to serve Him, He will reveal to us what He wants us to do, but it is up to us to do what He bids us do. We must step out the ground He is giving us. Once we have the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and been allocated “ground” from the Lord, our next step would be to start building on that ground. Let’s look at the vision that Haggai received from the Lord with regard to starting to build.
Haggai? Who? What? Is it in the Bible? Now where is it? If I showed you a certain picture, two of the ladies would fire me. Oh! I am so tempted!!! But I love my Cotacachian Gems!
Brain-stimulant coming up! God had not spoken to the Israelites through a prophet for the seventy years that they were in exile in Babylon. Haggai was the first prophet that God stirred and His message was for three categories of people – Zerubbabel, Joshua the High Priest and the people. They had not built for sixteen years on the Temple, and now God is telling them that their “lethargy led to losses”. Their attitude was – “Not now. We are busy rebuilding our own houses and lives in Jerusalem”. God was not pleased and he sent them drought, he stopped the dew from falling and nourishing their crops of corn, vineyards and oil; they sowed their crops, but did not have enough food; they drank but remained thirsty; their clothing was not adequate to keep them warm; their money bags had holes in and when they brought in money God blew it away (obey Gems!) I see two expressions in the picture. One Gem seems to have made up her mind for the good,the other one is probably telling God that she is going to obey. Both positive!
Okay! They are all lined up now and unanimously have decided to obey God.
When the Children of Israel made up their minds to obey God, He stirred up their spirits, told them “I am with you”, and then instructed them – “Go up!”. What did they do? “And they came and did work in the House of the Lord of Hosts, their God”. (Haggai 2:12-14)
Acknowledge an Actuality
We then considered how we could apply the events in Haggai to our own situation. (1) Previously we may have been called to serve the Lord; (2) We “built an altar” – placed God in the center of our service; (3) We worked hard to lay the foundations, and then (4) faced opposition from the enemy, Satan; (5) we then may have focused on our interests instead of the Lord’s work (6) We may have had a period when our work seemed to slow down and we got nowhere; (7) Spiritually we seemed to drift off course, and (8) everything we did failed to prosper. (9) Then God may have spoken to us through His Word, through that Inner still small Voice or through someone to waken us out of our spiritual slumber, and to return to the work God had called us to. (10) Immediately we obey God’s command to return to our posts, God will once again revitalize our vision, and (11) we will rise up and continue building His Kingdom here on earth.
We may stand together as a group, but when we “Begin to Build” for God, He comes to each of us personally and says: “Be strong! Be strong! Be strong!”
Once Zerubabbel, Joshua the High Priest and the people were determined to proceed with the building of the Temple, God said to them, “I am with you; My covenant with you still stands; My Spirit remains among you; Fear not! Work!” And then the Lord comes to us and says, “The glory of this latter Temple shall be greater than the former”, says the Lord of hosts.” (Haggai 2:9)
There are four important things that we must do in any new task that God assigns us.
1. Pick up your Plumb line: After hearing from God, and being called to work for Him, take the “small beginning” in your hand, with determination to begin the work immediately.
2. Part with Previous Major Successes: Do not cling to previous major successes in God’s work, to the extent that you despise the menial task that God is giving you today; be prepared to start off small – even here in Cotacachi!
3. Prioritize God’s Purpose: “Whatever you do, do it as unto the Lord…” Cling to God’s command and promise: “Do not despise . . . . small beginnings . . . For the Lord rejoices to see the work begin”
4.“Take courage – work”; “The glory of this latter Temple shall be greater than the former”. says the Lord of Hosts”. (Zechariah 4:10)
“A small beginning?” Yes, indeed, 10 years and 10 months ago, in South Africa, God planted “spiritual seeds” that would sprout into Cotacachi Bible College. Those “seeds” did not remain dormant in my spirit. For years I had this deep desire to study at a Bible College, and then in 2008 God led me to Pillsbury College and Seminary, St. Louis. There God planted more “seeds” in my life, “seeds” that would stand me in good stead, and which would begin to push down “Bible College Roots”, in Cotacachi, Ecuador, on 10 January 2011.
"”Do not despise . . . . small beginnings. . . . For the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.”
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