(There is a special message at the end of this article for those who do not have Jesus in their life and are looking for peace and a way to better understand the present-day insanity and confusion.)

I don’t imagine that the Book of Haggai is read as much as other Books of God’s Word. It was written in 520 B.C. to the Jewish people regarding their neglect of completing the rebuilding of God’s house (the Temple) while they had completed and were living in their own homes.

Having said that, let’s examine this book to see what message of instruction is contained in it for us here in 2022. This is not intended to be a detailed study of Haggai but instead to see what it tells us about God in this present time of turmoil, evil, confusion and godlessness.

More importantly, what does it tell us about this present world system and mankind’s clear rebellion in His eyes.

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Tim 3:16). Emphasis added by me.

First, let’s review these few verses of God’s Word that serve to remind us that our God has, throughout all history, cautioned and warned all people by His Sovereignty and by bringing about supernatural events that only He can perform in order to get the attention of people when they wander from Him.

More to the point, when they openly defy and rebel against His perfect Truth.

Romans Chapter 1, verse 20 is an example of how The Lord views this fact: “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they [mankind] are without excuse.”

“And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them” (Romans 1:28-32).

A further review reminds us that God does NOT CHANGE. Here are just three of many.

“God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?” (Numbers 23:19).

“But You remain the same, and Your years will never end” (Psalm 102:27).

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow” (James 1:17).

It is important to understand that the world is not, in fact, self-sustaining, and it DOES NOT exist as a result of random chance or “evolution.” That case can simply not be legitimately made.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1:1-3).

“He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:17).

God points out what some of the consequences are when He is ignored and rejected by His creation.

“Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it” (Haggai 1:5-6).

“from that time when one came to a grain heap of twenty measures, there would be only ten; and when one came to the wine vat to draw fifty measures, there would be only twenty. ‘I smote you and every work of your hands with blasting wind, mildew and hail; yet you did not come back to Me,’ declares the Lord” (Haggai 2:16-17).

Even a cursory examination of today’s current events quickly reveals that the above verses clearly indicate that God is following His age-old pattern of attempting to get the attention of people by altering the created order of what has been relatively normal for generation upon generation.

• Droughts next door to floods.
• Extreme temperature fluctuations from one day to the next.
• Linked chains of extremely violent weather.
• Earthquakes in increasing magnitude over diverse areas.
• Multiple awakening of volcanic activity over diverse areas.
• Crop failures all over the world.
• Wars and rumors of wars in increasing intensity, even to the threat of going nuclear.
• Strange signs in the heavens.
• Blights of insect infestations.
• The resurgence of previously eradicated diseases.

The list is much more extensive than what is noted above.

Now to the crux of this article.

This mostly ignored book from 2500+ years ago, to the observant reader, serves to confirm that God is the Sovereign and only God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).

It also confirms that He is a God of Mercy and Grace, BUT, He must also execute judgment against wanton sin and rebellion if His warnings continue to be ignored.

How serious does the Lord view sin?

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

“The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a).

“but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23b).

He proclaimed the penalty, then He paid it Himself, and during this age of Grace, He offers the salvation purchased by Jesus to everyone who will “open the door.”

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20).

Please read the special message at the end of this article in order to understand what is meant by “open the door.”

What more could our Lord have done than what He already has done?

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

As the end of the age rapidly approaches, it is worth noting that so many of the articles that appear, not only on Rapture Ready but on so very many other Christian websites as well as numerous “secular” (non-Christian) websites, reveal that the conditions warned of by Jesus Christ Himself in the Book of Matthew (24:4-8), (Mark 13:5-8), (Luke 21:10-11) among other Scriptural warnings, are becoming obvious and are the subject of many articles, commentaries and editorials.

Even some in the “mainstream” media speculate on these events in complete ignorance of the Biblical realities of the “signs of the times.” They need our prayers that they will come to a knowledge of the Truth.

It is like they are driving down a road toward a washed-out bridge, and there is a Christian standing in the road waving their arms, trying to warn them. Instead of stopping, they swerve around him/her and say to themselves, “I wonder what that person is standing in the road flapping their arms for?”

I suspect they will soon find out.

There is an old, non-Biblical saying that applies here, I think: “If it looks like a duck…”

Now, about “opening the door.”

For anyone who may read this article and has not trusted in Jesus Christ and therefore has no hope or peace in your life:

You can have hope. You can have the peace that Jesus has promised to all who have made Him their Lord and Savior.

It requires that you come before God on His terms.

And, what are His terms according to His Word?

• Genuine repentance (turning to God instead of continuing to reject or ignore Him).
• Confession of sins (that you are a sinner and acknowledge that to God).
• That you understand that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).
• To acknowledge to God that you are unable to pay that debt.
• Belief that Jesus Christ paid your death sentence for you on the cross.
• To believe that Jesus is the Way, the only Way, that God has established by which humans may be saved from the consequences of their sin and rebellion.

God has made it absolutely clear that there is no one who comes before Him, under His terms, that will be refused.

• No one: no race, no color, no country of origin, regardless of any previous belief system: no one.
• No matter what your past sins have been, God can and WILL forgive you because He says He will.
• Salvation is available to everyone without any exceptions.

If you put all your trust for salvation in Jesus and Him only, you can follow that prayer up by simply saying, “Thank you, Father God, for hearing my prayer and saving me,” because we can trust Him to keep His Word. He always has. He always will.

John 5:24: “Truly, Truly, I say to you that he who hears My words and believes the One who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned. He has crossed from death to life.”

There are no answers and there is no hope in the world by governments, organizations, politics or politicians. There are only lies and deception. But you can have the Truth and the peace you seek.

The answers are in the Word of God—The Bible. If you ask God with all your heart, He will hear you.

“And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).

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Psalm 121; “I lift my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; He will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out, and your coming in from this time forth, and forevermore.” (ESV – all emphasis mine)

Isaiah 40:8; “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (Isaiah 40:31); “but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

In far too many instances today, people are looking for relief. Problem is, they’re not turning to the One who can give comfort and assurance and strength to carry on. As Psalm 121 above states, “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” He also created each and every one of us and loves us beyond all human understanding.

John 3:16 is one verse in the Bible that nearly everyone has heard. It states in very plain language that the Father, Creator of everything and everyone on earth and in the heavens, loves each of us so much that He sent a part of Himself as a pathway to eternal life that we would otherwise never have. Then looking to 2 Peter 3:9, He tells us He doesn’t want anyone to fail and end up in Hell but allows all who will do so to repent and be with Him forever.

So many man-made religions have rituals and works that must be completed in order to please whatever deity they call “god.” Our Father made it very plain in Ephesians 2:8-9 that we are saved by grace through faith and not by any act of our own doing. Our requirement is to receive and accept the fact that Jesus paid all that is necessary for us to have an eternal Heavenly Home with Him, and He paid for it in full. We must be open and confess that we know we are sinners (Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23) and cannot save ourselves. However, the Father states that all who call on His Son for forgiveness and to be their Savior will be saved (Romans 10:13).

That is our “gift” from the Father, and to imply that we can do anything to earn or buy our Salvation is a gross insult to His Son’s sacrifice. Jesus could have refused to suffer and die for us, but as John 10:18 states, He gave Himself willingly.

Therefore, is it any wonder that John 3:18 and 1 John 5:12 state that anyone who does not have the Son does not have the Father either? Nor do they have a place in eternity with Him.

What God asks is not hard by any stretch of the imagination, but humans make it difficult by believing there just has to be more to our having a place in Heaven.

God cannot lie (Titus 1:2), and He totally wants all to receive and accept His gift. The unforgivable sin is to take your last breath on this earth without having asked Jesus to be your Savior. Other than that, at the present time, there is no other sin that cannot be forgiven. During the Tribulation, taking the mark of the beast will be unforgivable (Revelation 14:9-11).

This world is turning more evil almost hourly. All the signs given by our Savior, Paul, John, Peter, and others, are in place right here and right now. People are “fainting with fear,” as given in Luke 21:26, because of disease, weather, wars and rumors of wars taking place just as Jesus said they would. For true believers, we don’t like what’s happening, but we have the Hope that our time here is limited. The moment is coming soon when the trumpet of the Lord will sound, and there will be a shout from an archangel. Then, in the “twinkling of an eye,” our human existence on this sin-filled planet will be over (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; 1 Corinthians 15:51-53). All who are indwelt by the Holy Spirit will be taken up to meet our Savior in the air to be with Him forever.

All who do not have Jesus as their Savior will face a 7-year period of time such as this earth has never seen. At the end of that time, Jesus will put down the “rebellion” and physically rule on this earth from Jerusalem for 1000 years. Whether or not we will be the “army” that comes with Him remains to be seen. If we are, we will no longer be under any influence of any sinful ways, nor be subject to pain, disease or death. We will have the mindset of our Lord and Savior and not be able to be tempted by Satan’s forces.

Romans 8:1 will have special meaning for us; “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Unbelievers are fearful today, but our Father is not surprised by anything that is taking place. In fact, He has never given up His control but is allowing all the events to take place. Satan arrogantly believes he is in charge, even though he knows what his future will be (Revelation 20:10). He’s filled with so much destructive pride that he will try to influence everyone to turn away from Jesus.

Does the fact that those who have Jesus in their hearts today are being called “haters” surprise anyone? That’s the satanic influence leading the false prophets and antichrists and demons to continue their service to the devil. Right is seen as wrong, and wrong as right, just as Isaiah said it would be in Isaiah 5:20. Some previously Bible-based evangelical churches are staying away from calling out sin, and some are even saying that what God called abominations are somehow acceptable today.

Sadly, just as Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14, more are accepting the garbage and are on that broad pathway leading to eternal destruction. There have been enough people to turn away from the Savior that it can be said “few” are on that straight and narrow path leading to eternal life.

People want to hear “ear-tickling” messages that do not mention sin nor any need to accept Jesus as Savior. It’s become a “feel-good” atmosphere that Satan is saying that all “good” people will have heaven, and Jesus isn’t necessary to get there. His lies have influenced people all the way from the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3 to today’s culture.

The Father, Son and Holy Spirit will not force anyone to receive and accept the offer of eternal life. Neither will they turn anyone away who calls out to be saved.

The choice is plain, simple and easy to understand for anyone who has the will to believe. Romans 8:1 has already been referenced, and further reading to give the steps to Salvation is found in Romans 10:9-13.

To wait could be a mistake because we don’t know exactly when the Rapture will take place. It is very obvious by all the signs today that it is very close. Jesus said when the signs begin to take place, our redemption is near (Luke 21:28). The beginning started just within the past decade, and the end time events are accelerating.

Take the time right now to call out and trust that God is in control. Ask Jesus to forgive you and to be your Savior. Today would not be too early as the end of this age is imminent.

Maranatha! Come, Lord Jesus!

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