Giving To: Pastor Marvin Booth (3rd Page)

"WASTED TIME AND WASTED HOUSES"
*A Neglect of The Common*
Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your cieled houses, and this house lie waste?- Haggai 1:4

Sounds like "Haggai" the prophet could have fit in well today as a modern Pastor. His message was too God's (faith confessing) people. Formed in a question of conviction and immediate concern. Let's modernize his quest for us now today. Haggai could have sounded like this, as follows. "People of God, do you not know what time it is? Do you think it's time for you to stay home more in your personal houses, which God blessed you to have with no thought of the time it takes at God's house, in the essential work of His and the privilege of worship of Him to make it a success? How is it that you can take care of the homes God has given you, and yet allow His House to become ruin through neglect?"
Sounds a little blunt, doesn't it? But it's a Truth that the prophets of old like "Haggai" had to address amiss the apostasy in their day. Today, kinda like then, this same apostacy exist. God's House has become a seasonal, secondary place. Where God's people show up for special events. Or if it is convenient according to their calendar. If it doesn't interrupt the pursuit of their personal happiness and the prosperity of having more in this World. A day when the modern "so called" believer can find the time to take care of their homes, and yet allow God's house to be neglected. Sadly, often with no thought of it until a preacher/Pastor has to bring it up. A sign the sheep have stop listening and hearing the Great Shepherd. Therefore, He then has to speak through His anointed and appointed shepherds. A day when the "so called" saint have no "mind to work" (Nehemiah 4:6). Which is "the work of the ministry" accordingly (Ephesians 4:12). A day when many not only have lost the mind to Work, in and at His Houses. Tragically, a time also when now many have lost the heart to attend faithfully to Worship at His Houses. Who predictably “make up excuses” as a habit “a manner of some that is (Hebrews 10:25). Therefore, when God's Work and God's Worship is neglected by those who are called by His name, then their is ruin spiritually at His Houses that seeps into the surroundings culturally with lukewarmness and compromise and deception concerning His faith. Then the spiritual warfare that true CHRISTIANITY is, becomes void in our day and Churches. Why? I call it "THE THREE W's of HIS KINGDOM". (1) Worship (2) Work (3) Warfare. The Church is only a success in The Spirit when these three Kingdom principles are obeyed. Some only want to Worship. They want a service every now and then, not a Church. They come or not come, makes no difference to them. Their not zealous for His House as Jesus was in (John 2:17). Then there are those who enjoy to Worship in His House, because they have so much work invested in His House! Noticed, I said "work" not "tithes and offerings". Going to His House to them is not just about worship, it is also about work. They go to His House to Worship and Work! Only this category of congregants are  really “WARRIORS". They will fight and not flee! According to (Nehemiah 4:17), "...every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with other hand held weapon." Meaning, the WORKERS are the WARRIORS! Many can WORSHIP, but this does not mean they are WARRIORS. Only those who WORSHIP and WORK are WARRIORS!
Warriors are faithful to the fight, because they are willing for the work! Thy don’t mind working because their mindful of the work! This is why then they can "WARSHIP" in the midst of the warfare that CHRISTIANITY is and not run when times aren’t fun. Those who can run away so easily in warfare, are those who prior, neglect the work, though they occasionally worship. God's house lies in much waste today. Some of the waste is “TIME WASTED". Not discerning the times. The time at His House. The neglect of time in His Worship and time in His Work (at His House). In (2 Kings 4:10) a great woman, in "Shunem" connected a little room on her house. It was a room where the prophet "Elisha" could come and rest. A little room where God did big things! It was in this little room connected to her house that God raised her dead son back to life! (2 Kings 4:32-37).
The word "Shunem" means: "DOUBLE RESTING PLACE". This place of MIRACLES was a place (GOD'S RESTING PLACE), the same as HIS HOUSE. She connected God's Room, His Upper Room "so to speak" to her House! It became a “double house” His house and Hers! Her house was one with His House! Until we His people reconnect back to God's House faithfully in "Worship", in "Work" and in "Warfare" we will not experience these types of "Wonders".
Many do not realize that Pastors have houses too. They have yards to tend. They have families to provide for. They live on the same 24rs that everyone else does. Yet, when they take care of their homes and families, their minds are also on taking care of God's house and His family. They don't just think of their yard. They think of God's yard. When they think of their house and the weekly care, their reminded of the weekly care at God's house. They don't think just of their house, they think of God's house. Too, often them and their family are left with the weight to take care both theirs and God's. While, many saints have no thought, no mind other than Church time. Never asking prior and after services: "WHEN WAS THIS DONE?" "WHO DID IT?" and "HOW WAS IT DONE?" 

Pastor's do not not have to have members of the Church inform them of common things that need to be done at their personal houses. Likewise, Church members don't need Pastor's to inform them when common things need to be done at their houses. Yet, how is it that the Pastor has to be both mindful of common things for both his house and God's house? Why is it that the Pastor is expected to remind Church members of the common things that need to be done at God's House? Common things at our houses and at God's Houses. Here are some common examples in comparison. Yard cleaning and maintenance. House cleaning and maintenance. Taking trash out? Locking doors? Unlocking doors? Turning water spickets on and off (especially in freeze warning conditions). 

Turning lights on or off. Turning/setting thermostats on or off, etc. Common things that are so often overlooked except by those who OVERSEE. Things that are so common at our houses, yet are so neglected at God's Houses. Why? Because, most think...the Pastor or his family will do it.
According to (Acts 6:4), the main responsibility of the Pastor is "prayer & preaching". Yet, because there is so much neglect of common thing, the local minister becomes the one carrying both His House and God's. A task that will eventually wear him down at both his house and sadly at God's house in the pulpit. Which is satan's plot. The enemy loves lazy saints who let their Pastor's and their families do all the common things at the Church. Then he (the wolf) can sit back with the sluggish sheep and watch the battered shepherd become smitten, so then the sheep might be scattered. (Mark 14:27). Why? So, the wolf (satan) can then feed on scattered sheep who want come feed. Battered (wore out) shepherds lead to scattered (wandering off) sheep. Then the wolf succeeds in devouring and wasting both. It all leads back to the waste of God's House and the common neglect. This is where the waste and wear begins.
Wake up saints! Get Work up Church!
Churches, Time and Shepherds are being Wasted over the common simple things being neglected.

In the Spirit with Haggai the Prophet,
Abiding, Night Watching Shepherd,
Pastor Marvin Booth