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538 | Throwback - Consider Your Ways · The Woman at the Well Ministries Podcast

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  She's a happy girl. Hello, friends, and welcome back to another podcast of Woman.
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  At the Well Ministries, where we believe that all of us have to come to Jesus
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  like the woman at the well in John chapter 4.
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  Our highest priority is making God real in your life.
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  Whether you are listening in our app, in your favorite podcasting app,
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  or on our website at watwm.org, we invite you to sit down with us as we look
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  to the scriptures to learn more about God and to strengthen your daily walk with Jesus Christ.
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  Haggai 1, verses 5 through 7. Now therefore, thus saith the Lord of hosts, consider your ways.
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  Ye have sown much, and bring in little.
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  Ye eat, but ye have not enough. Ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink.
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  Ye clothe you, but there is none warm. And he that earneth wages,
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  earneth wages to put it into a bag with holes.
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  Thus saith the Lord of hosts, consider your ways.
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  Join us in this broadcast of Woman at the Well Ministries as Kim walks us through
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  the scriptures, discovering what it means to consider your ways.
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  Hello, and thank you for joining us in this broadcast of Woman at the Well Ministries.
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  And what an absolute pleasure it is to chat with you as we look in his scriptures
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  to hear what God has to say to us.
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  And I believe it's a very sombering and sobering thought. when we look in Haggai
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  chapter one and in verse five, he says, now, therefore, thus saith the Lord
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  of hosts, consider your ways.
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  And I can't help but think about in Romans chapter 14 and verse 12,
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  he says, so then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
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  I can't help but think how he tells us in John 15 and verse 9 that we are to continue in his love.
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  I can't help but think how he tells us that we are to pray one for another.
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  And I can't help but think how he said that in the book of Acts that he went about doing good.
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  And I can't help but think how he tells us in the book of Revelations that whosoever's
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  name was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
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  And when I look at Haggai 1, 5, and I read it say, consider your ways, it stops me in my tracks.
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  But you see, every day just sort of goes away.
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  And for some people, that's exactly what happens. The pages of the calendar just flip.
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  And at the end of the month, they're not even certain what
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  they've done at all during that month and perhaps they have not
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  attained any goals perhaps they have not reached for anything perhaps they've
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  not helped or comforted a soul perhaps they don't even know and then there are
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  those who just plan themselves to death making sure that they've done this and
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  they have this goal and they have this purpose and they have this objective.
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  But they may still not be considering their ways.
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  For you see, I believe that Jesus is expecting us to sort of take inventory
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  of our life and see where it matches up with what he said he wanted for us to do.
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  For you see, he said that he knows the plans that he has for us,
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  to prosper us, to give us a hope and a future in Jeremiah 29 11.
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  And he tells us in Matthew, I believe it's chapter 5, he says that we are the
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  light of the world and that we shouldn't hide our light under a bushel,
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  but that we should put it out on a candlestick for all to see.
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  He has commissioned us to be his ambassadors.
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  And I believe when he says to us, consider your ways,
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  he wants us to take a close look at how we live each and every day,
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  how we make each and every decision how we spend our time investing it in the kingdom,
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  and how we are living compared to how he's asked us to do so if you look up in the
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  dictionary the definition of consider you'll hear it or you'll read it say think.
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  Or ponder a second meaning is heed or regard and a third is believe and i find that so impressive.
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  For he's saying consider your ways i believe he's
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  saying think and ponder upon the things that you're doing i also
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  think he's saying consider your ways heed and regard
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  my words that your ways would be what
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  i'd have them to be and i believe he's saying
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  believe in me the way
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  the truth and the life as he tells us in john chapter 14
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  and verse 6 the hebrew word or
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  meaning for consider means to set your
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  heart on your ways if
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  you look up the hebrew in this text right here it's set
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  your heart on your ways listen
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  to how beautiful it is that he's
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  written these words to us for as
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  we took the modern day meaning all three of them and saw how each of those three
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  played intricately into what he wants us to do with our everyday life and our
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  ways and then we look at the hebrew meaning of consider your ways and it says that we are to
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  set our heart on your ways.
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  When you consider your ways, you need to set your heart on Jesus Christ and his ways.
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  The Bible tells us in Colossians that we are to set our affections on things
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  above and not on things of the earth.
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  This business of considering our ways is serious stuff you see we weren't put
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  on this earth to live willy-nilly we weren't sit.
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  In the place that we have been placed for no reason you see because god has a purpose for all things,
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  And each and everything that you do is either working towards his purpose of
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  building the kingdom of God, or it isn't.
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  And as we look at this lesson on considering your ways, I want you to just take
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  a few moments and reflect upon your life, upon your goals, upon your objectives.
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  Considering what motivates you and inspires you. Considering what it is that
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  you're working towards.
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  And my friends, I understand fully that salvation isn't about my work.
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  For you see, I understand that he said in Ephesians 2, 8 and 9,
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  that for by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves.
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  It is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast.
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  But I also know that James said, show me your works, and I'll show you your faith.
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  You see, he said that you would know your faith, or that others would know your faith by your works.
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  It's not of works of righteousness, which I have done. But it's the finished work of Calvary.
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  But that transforming blood that flows through my veins and covers me is what
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  inspires me and motivates me. And what's inside of me comes out.
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  Where you see, Jesus said it best when he said, out of the abundance of the
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  heart, the mouth speaketh.
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  You see, those things that you're passionate about, those things that burn from
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  within that just really get you going?
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  I have a colleague who used to ask me all the time, what is it that makes you get up in the morning?
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  And that's sort of what she was using to get one to think about their goals and objectives.
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  Let me tell you what gets me up in the morning, is I know that I can live because he lives.
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  And I know that I can face tomorrow because he lives and i know that he has
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  a plan for me and he has a purpose for me and that he has a job for me to do
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  and that he has chosen me to do it and that i have the privilege to be in his,
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  army of born again blood bought washed in the blood of christ's children well
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  you see he said But for what manner of love hath the Father bestowed upon us
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  that we should be called the sons of God?
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  We need to consider our ways. It's a common thing for someone to be around me
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  who knew my father and happened to see my mannerisms or look at my hands and
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  they'll say, you have your father's hands.
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  You see, because his blood runs deep within me.
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  Or you'll spend some time with me and you'll look at me from a side profile
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  or perhaps you'll just hear something I say or watch the way I do something
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  and someone will say, wow, that reminds me so much of her mother.
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  For you see, her blood runs deep within me.
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  The same should be able to be said about you about having your father's eyes.
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  I mean your heavenly father. For you see, he told us that you clothed me when I was naked.
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  You fed me when I was hungry.
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  You visited me when I was in prison. And the disciples spoke to him and said,
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  when do we do these things?
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  He said when you've done it to the least of these you've done it unto me and
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  there are people walking about been commissioned by jesus christ to be his hands
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  extended and his feet to give the precious gospel of christ to display his love
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  and his mercy and his grace and then someone watching can say she's different.
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  What makes her different? And quickly she can say, His blood runs deep in me.
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  We need to be about doing good. We need to consider our ways.
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  You see, where your feet go is a testimony of who Jesus is.
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  If Sunday morning comes around and you're watching TV, when you hear the church
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  bells in the distance ring.
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  Don't hesitate to understand all the people on your street they know you didn't
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  go to church and you do this time and time again and they're going to very quickly realize that perhaps,
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  and most likely your attraction for jesus christ and your love for him isn't all that strong,
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  and then when you try to come around and talk to them about god your witness
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  is going to be a little weak.
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  For you see, your ways have already told the story before your lips have spoken a word.
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  Haggai says, consider your ways.
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  Perhaps one of the reasons we see about considering our ways is because there's
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  a consequences to your ways.
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  I'd like for you to please look at Haggai chapter 1, beginning in verse 5,
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  and we're going to read through verse 7.
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  But before we begin that passage, I ask that you just pray with me, please.
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  Our kind and most gracious, dear Heavenly Father, Lord, we just thank you for
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  this and other opportunity that you've given us to look through your scriptures,
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  to hear what you have to say.
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  And Lord, I thank you for the blessing of being called of you that I might teach
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  others what you've impressed upon my heart.
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  And Lord, I ask that you would just help each of us to really be able to see
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  into our lives the way that you would have us to.
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  Lord, that we might be able to look at each of the things that we do.
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  We might be able to look at our personalities.
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  We might be able to look at our tendencies. And most of all,
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  Lord, we might be able to really look at the activities that encompass our life.
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  And Lord, help us to consider them in the light of what your word has said and
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  in the light of what your love would have us to do.
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  And Lord, if there be changes that need to be made in any of our lives,
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  we pray for that blessed grace and mercy to be bestowed upon each of us,
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  that we might have the courage and in your strength, the strength to make those
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  changes, that our lives would be a living testimony of who you are,
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  that others would come to know you simply by watching our ways.
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  Lord, we love you and we praise you and we thank you for what you will teach
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  our hearts in these next few moments.
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  And all these things we ask in thy most precious and holy name we pray,
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  and all of God's people said, Amen.
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  Haggai begins in verse 5 with this. Now therefore, thus saith the Lord of hosts, consider your ways.
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  Ye have sown much and bring in little.
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  Ye eat, but ye have not enough. Ye drink, but ye are not filled with drink.
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  Ye clothe you, but there is none warm. He that earneth wages,
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  earneth wages to put it into a bag with a hole.
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  Thus saith the Lord of hosts, consider your ways.
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  Now, I want you to see what he has done for us in this passage.
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  It's sort of like an Oreo sandwich or cookie.
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  On each side, he has said, thus saith the Lord of hosts. This is coming from authority.
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  Consider your ways. And in between that, he has simply spoken to them about
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  how their current ways have not brought them the results they need or desire.
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  And my friends, I want you to just consider this simple truth.
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  If you continue to do what you've always done, you will continue to get what you've always got.
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  So if you continue to do right, time and time and time again,
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  you will continue to reap the blessings of righteous living and being in the
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  center of God's will and doing as he expects.
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  But if you continue to do wrong because to
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  him that knows to do good and doeth it not to
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  him it is sin that isn't my words that
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  is god's words and if you continue to
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  do wrong you are going to reap what you
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  sow for galatians 5 7 says be
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  not deceived god is not mocked for whatsoever a man
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  soweth that shall he also reap and this
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  is what we see these people have not done what god commanded him to do the temple
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  is still laying in ruin they have not built what he said to do and they haven't
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  considered their ways to try to figure out i'm doing all this stuff and i'm
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  not getting what i expect.
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  And he says again, consider your ways. If you're sending prayers to God,
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  you should be getting answers.
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  But he said that if you would hide iniquity in your heart, that he wouldn't hear you.
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  So if you keep praying and you're not getting any answers, and trust me,
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  wait is an answer. No is an answer.
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  Just because you're not getting what you want, doesn't mean God isn't answering you.
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  He has promised to answer our prayers. He says, call unto me and I will answer thee.
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  Ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find, knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
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  These are promises of God. So if you have no results in your prayer life,
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  you need to consider your ways.
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  If you have no influence on those that are around you in a godly way,
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  you need to consider your ways.
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  If everything around you is falling apart and you don't have the joy and peace
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  of God in your heart, You need to consider your ways because even in the midst
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  of trouble, even in the midst of the storm,
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  even in the midst of things falling apart, if you are a child of God in the
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  center of his will, you'll have joy unspeakable and full of glory and a peace
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  that passeth understanding.
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  There's peace in the storm.
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  You need to consider your ways. And if you are a child of God,
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  you need to do some inter-perspective thinking. You need to reflect.
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  Upon the things that you are doing because the wages of sin is death,
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  romans 6 23 says for the wages of
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  sin is death but the gift of god is eternal life through jesus
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  christ our lord proverbs 16
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  25 says there is a way that seemeth right
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  unto man but the end thereof are the ways of death friends
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  i'm telling you you need to consider your
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  ways and those of you who do not know
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  him as personal savior seriously need to
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  consider your ways because your ways apart
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  from the blood of jesus christ will send you to
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  hell he won't do it you've done it on your own he
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  said choose you this day who you would serve he said whosoever
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  shall call upon the name of the lord shall be saved he said
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  whosoever his name is not found written in the book of
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  life shall be cast into the lake of fire and
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  you've got to make that decision and if
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  you continue to live a servant of sin you're going to reap death eternally the
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  consequences of your life and your ways are just the opposite if you believe
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  in jesus christ john 3 16 says for god so loved the world,
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  that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.
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  17 says, For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world,
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  but that the world through him might be saved.
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  18 explains to us that he that believes in him is not condemned,
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  but he that believeth not in him is condemned already because he hath not believed
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  in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
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  Consider your ways. There are eternal consequences.
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  There's many commandments in the Bible concerning your ways.
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  He tells us to love as he loves you.
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  If you would, I'd ask you to turn to John chapter 15.
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  And in John chapter 15 and verse 12, he says, this is my commandment.
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  That ye love one another as I have loved you.
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  Listen to Haggai in your ears saying, Thus saith the Lord, consider your ways.
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  In John chapter 15 and verse 17, he says, These things I command you,
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  that ye love one another.
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  And Haggai saying, Thus saith the Lord, consider your ways.
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  In John chapter 15 and verse 13, he says,
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  greater love hath no man than this that a
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  man lay down his life for his friends and high
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  guy's saying consider your ways my
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  friends when's the last time you
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  forgot about yourself and trusted in jesus christ completely and began to take
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  the burdens of others upon your shoulders taking them to the throne of god he
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  said to pray ye one for another for the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
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  Consider your ways. Those of you who know Jesus Christ as Savior,
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  I am fairly certain that every one of you know somebody who is not ready to
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  meet God, who if they stepped out into eternity right now would not be prepared to meet their God.
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  Yet many of those same people have not spent any time in prayer at all asking
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  God to send someone in their way, of this individual that could show God clearly,
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  asking God to spend time absolutely working on their heart,
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  asking God to just absolutely immerse these people in the truth of who he is, and just, Lord, send me.
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  No, at best we may raise our hand for an unspoken prayer request,
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  that God might save their souls.
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  Haggai said, Thou speakest the Lord of hosts, saying, Thank you.
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  Consider your ways. You've sown much and bring in little.
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  You eat, but you don't have enough. You drink, but you're not filled.
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  Consider your ways. My friends, I hope that this lesson has inspired you to
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  spend some time considering your ways.
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  For the Lord said that there is fruit for your labor. And don't be weary in well-doing.
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  But if you're spinning your wheels, you need to see what direction your wheels are taking you in.
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  Consider your ways.
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  Thank you for joining us in today's podcast. You can visit the show notes for
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  quotes from today's podcast and scripture references.
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  Thank you to the Gospel Group Fudge Creek for letting us use their hit song, Happy Girl.
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  Remember that God loves you. You are loved.