here is nothing in God that does not come from thirst and hunger. God honors diligence and effort to become closer to Him. If there is anything that God desires from us, is that we discover who He is. We are still connected to the blood and a cross. Many churches have eliminated those things from their ministry because they are upsetting. But the truth is that the cross was upsetting and is integral to salvation. Our texts tonight are from the beginning and the end of rebuilding by Israel after many years of Babylonian captivity. They went back to the original laws handed down and given to Israel when they entered the promised land. The altar is important to God. An altar is a place of atonement. We all need a place to bring our sins and failures. It is a place where we can make amends and find reconciliation. It is a place of sacrifice. It is a place of blessing. The altar is a place to bring offerings of thanks. Ezra 3 makes an important statement about their rebuilding. It says that they went back to the original foundation. After seventy years of neglect and destruction, the temple was a mess of rocks and debris. For most people, when they start to rebuild something that has been neglected, they will want to improve it and make it better. But Israel knew that they could not improve on God’s design.

As we begin the new year, we all look with anticipation to see what is coming. Current events in the middle east are certainly part of the end-time prophecy. Learned men predicted many things for the twenty-first century and to some extent, many of these predictions have come to pass, while others are laughable. Spiritually, we have much to look forward to. God’s plan is still God’s plan and He will bring it to pass in His time. Since Hurricane Harvey, we have been in a rebuilding mode physically. Bro. Hughes believes that we have to extend that rebuilding to the spiritual realm. Our text is from a time of rebuilding in Israel. After many years of Babylonian captivity, Isreal was returning to their homeland. After seventy years of neglect, Jerelesum was in ruin. As they began to sort out the chaos, they realized that there had to be the right beginning. Rebuilding, yes, but where to start? If they were to reclaim and recover, they had to start at the right place. They began at the alter. When we need to start over; When we need to repossess something that has been lost; we have to begin at the altar of God. There are a great many places that they could have started, but when all is in ruin, the place to begin recovery is at the altar. The book stores and the internet are full of self-help programs that promise a better life. If we want 2020 to be a blessed year, we must begin at the altar. Ezra tells us that as they rebuilt the altar, God strengthened their hands in their work. When we reconnect to the altar, God will give us the strength to repair the other areas of our life. Rebuilding the altar is the priority for the times.

As we begin the new year, we all look with anticipation to see what is coming. Current events in the middle east are certainly part of the end-time prophecy. Learned men predicted many things for the twenty-first century and to some extent, many of these predictions have come to pass, while others are laughable. Spiritually, we have much to look forward to. God’s plan is still God’s plan and He will bring it to pass in His time. Since Hurricane Harvey, we have been in a rebuilding mode physically. Bro. Hughes believes that we have to extend that rebuilding to the spiritual realm. Our text is from a time of rebuilding in Israel. After many years of Babylonian captivity, Isreal was returning to their homeland. After seventy years of neglect, Jerelesum was in ruin. As they began to sort out the chaos, they realized that there had to be the right beginning. Rebuilding, yes, but where to start? If they were to reclaim and recover, they had to start at the right place. They began at the alter. When we need to start over; When we need to repossess something that has been lost; we have to begin at the altar of God. There are a great many places that they could have started, but when all is in ruin, the place to begin recovery is at the altar. The book stores and the internet are full of self-help programs that promise a better life. If we want 2020 to be a blessed year, we must begin at the altar. Ezra tells us that as they rebuilt the altar, God strengthened their hands in their work. When we reconnect to the altar, God will give us the strength to repair the other areas of our life. Rebuilding the altar is the priority for the times.

As we begin the new year, we all look with anticipation to see what is coming. Current events in the middle east are certainly part of the end-time prophecy. Learned men predicted many things for the twenty-first century and to some extent, many of these predictions have come to pass, while others are laughable. Spiritually, we have much to look forward to. God’s plan is still God’s plan and He will bring it to pass in His time. Since Hurricane Harvey, we have been in a rebuilding mode physically. Bro. Hughes believes that we have to extend that rebuilding to the spiritual realm. Our text is from a time of rebuilding in Israel. After many years of Babylonian captivity, Isreal was returning to their homeland. After seventy years of neglect, Jerelesum was in ruin. As they began to sort out the chaos, they realized that there had to be the right beginning. Rebuilding, yes, but where to start? If they were to reclaim and recover, they had to start at the right place. They began at the alter. When we need to start over; When we need to repossess something that has been lost; we have to begin at the altar of God. There are a great many places that they could have started, but when all is in ruin, the place to begin recovery is at the altar. The book stores and the internet are full of self-help programs that promise a better life. If we want 2020 to be a blessed year, we must begin at the altar. Ezra tells us that as they rebuilt the altar, God strengthened their hands in their work. When we reconnect to the altar, God will give us the strength to repair the other areas of our life. Rebuilding the altar is the priority for the times.

Dr. James Hughes preaches on A God That Strategizes for Your LIfe

Dr. James Hughes preaches on A God That Strategizes for Your LIfe

Dr. James Hughes preaches on A God That Strategizes for Your LIfe

At the turn of the last century, as electricity began to come to homes across the country, some found that this new marvel of electric lights illuminated just how dirty their homes were. Some were embarrassed by this fact and vowed to never have such an illumination shed on their homes. Others embraced the blessing that the illumination that allowed them to clean out the things they had unknowingly lived with for years. Too many in our world are like those neighbors who did not want the light of God shown on their lives. In our texts tonight, the writers all recount the same story that tells the truth that no man hides a light in their home but put it up high to light up as much as possible. We are the light of the world. We must hold our light up high so that it shines brightly. We must be careful not to hide our light. Our world is in desperate need of the light that God brings. The gospel writers all say that men do not hide their lights under a bushel. We each have our own bushels, but we must overcome those to share the truth we know with a desperate and dying world. For some, our bushel is a bad attitude. For others, it is a spirit of apathy and laziness. Maybe the bushel is fear. No matter the bushel, there is a dark world that needs the light that we have.

At the turn of the last century, as electricity began to come to homes across the country, some found that this new marvel of electric lights illuminated just how dirty their homes were. Some were embarrassed by this fact and vowed to never have such an illumination shed on their homes. Others embraced the blessing that the illumination that allowed them to clean out the things they had unknowingly lived with for years. Too many in our world are like those neighbors who did not want the light of God shown on their lives. In our texts tonight, the writers all recount the same story that tells the truth that no man hides a light in their home but put it up high to light up as much as possible. We are the light of the world. We must hold our light up high so that it shines brightly. We must be careful not to hide our light. Our world is in desperate need of the light that God brings. The gospel writers all say that men do not hide their lights under a bushel. We each have our own bushels, but we must overcome those to share the truth we know with a desperate and dying world. For some, our bushel is a bad attitude. For others, it is a spirit of apathy and laziness. Maybe the bushel is fear. No matter the bushel, there is a dark world that needs the light that we have.

At the turn of the last century, as electricity began to come to homes across the country, some found that this new marvel of electric lights illuminated just how dirty their homes were. Some were embarrassed by this fact and vowed to never have such an illumination shed on their homes. Others embraced the blessing that the illumination that allowed them to clean out the things they had unknowingly lived with for years. Too many in our world are like those neighbors who did not want the light of God shown on their lives. In our texts tonight, the writers all recount the same story that tells the truth that no man hides a light in their home but put it up high to light up as much as possible. We are the light of the world. We must hold our light up high so that it shines brightly. We must be careful not to hide our light. Our world is in desperate need of the light that God brings. The gospel writers all say that men do not hide their lights under a bushel. We each have our own bushels, but we must overcome those to share the truth we know with a desperate and dying world. For some, our bushel is a bad attitude. For others, it is a spirit of apathy and laziness. Maybe the bushel is fear. No matter the bushel, there is a dark world that needs the light that we have.