• The Lord’s heart is always to give and bless. The law is all about demanding from you, but grace is all about giving to you. We are no longer under the law, but we are under grace. Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Each time we go back to Jesus, He blesses us—that is grace. 
• “Anointing” (1 John 2:27) — This is a present continuous noun, which indicates the continuous flow and movement of God’s Spirit in you.
• “you do not need that anyone teach you” (1 John 2:27) — This means to not let anyone deceive you. Discern between good and bad by listening to the Spirit. 
• Regardless of what you do, God’s Spirit is always in you (it does not come and go) as long as you believe in Jesus’ finished work. It teaches you everything you need to know, and it does not lie. When you live life following the Spirit, you will abide in Him, and you will bring forth much fruit.
• The Holy Spirit leads you to understand things and make wise decisions that go beyond your natural reasoning and logic.
• The real you is not your body or soul (your mind, will, and emotions), but the real you is your spirit (the part of you that is engaged with God and is eternal). Sometimes we may experience the feeling of deja vu, like we have already experienced a present situation. Some attribute this feeling to being psychic or other evil practices that are not of God. But as believers, we must know that this feeling comes from the Holy Spirit who is able to teach us and show us the things to come. However, the Spirit’s purpose is not to satisfy your desire for knowledge and reason. This is what the devil will try to satisfy you with. 
• If you are a parent, your child in their teens may start to ask difficult questions. It is important for them to learn that they will never be able to satisfy their desire for knowledge and reason, and that it is more crucial to be able to discern when the flesh is placing priority on reason over the Spirit.
• This is how it should be: the Spirit leads and reason follows. 
• We will never be able to fully explain the things of God using human reasoning, but that does not mean we should stop following Him.
• Very often, we find it easy to put our faith in the things of the world but find it difficult to believe in the things of God. On the other hand, we keep asking God to show us tangible things—signs and wonders—before we are able to put our trust in Him. 
• Even the best of man can fail. In everything, we must put our trust in God. 
• We read God’s Word and listen to sermons not because we do not know the truth, but to confirm what we have known from listening to the Spirit within us (1 John 2:21).

• “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? . . . But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
  —Matthew 6:24–33 NKJV
• “Is not life more than food” — Quality of life is more important than the things you have. Food here represents our material possessions.
• “and the body more than clothing” —  Health is more important than what you put on. 
• God’s desires us to live like the birds of the air—carefree. The birds know that food will always be supplied and they continue feeding on God’s supply regardless of what is happening around them. You are much more important to God than the birds (Matt 6:26). If God takes care of the birds, how much more will He take care of you? 
• When the birds sing, they are worshiping the Lord. We are all created to worship (Ps. 150:6), to keep our eyes on the Lord. When we return to what we were made for, to worship, we receive a sense of perfect fulfillment.
• God does not want us to prioritize mammon, which represents money and material wealth. We cannot serve both mammon and God (Matt. 6:24). Money makes a poor master. Some of us give up our quality of life for money. We give up time with our family for our jobs. God does not want us to live that way.
• “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life” (Matt 6:25) — The very next verse (v 25) starts with “Therefore,” which tells us that the reason some of us are full of worry and care is that we are pursuing material wealth in our hearts. We knowingly or unknowingly do not believe that God can and will provide for us.

• In the miracle of the five loaves and two fishes, it is written that “He gave as much as they wanted” (John 6:11). The same Jesus that performed this miracle is the One who supplies according to your every need and want. Even when there is severe lack or famine all around you, you can trust that the Lord will not withhold His supply from you. Jesus kept on giving and giving until the people were all filled. 
• This is the Word of God concerning His generous supply. This is not a “prosperity” message as some may call it. God's supply is also not based on how much you can give to God. When you trust God, He will supply.
• Pandemics, diseases, health conditions, wars and rumors of wars are the signs of the end times. God tells us of these things not because they are His will but so that we know they do not take Him by surprise, and we can trust Him to care for us in the midst of them.
• When one chooses to serve in the church full-time, it is not for the sake of money. In fact these people choose to trust in the Lord and take that step of faith into the ministry, and the Lord blesses them. However, nobody sees what happens before their harvest. When you look at someone’s harvest, you should ask, “What has this person sown?”
• Some of us are so comfortable with the harvests from the past that we no longer prioritize God’s house. We still believe in Him and we still tune in to the preaching of His Word, but our hearts are no longer for the house of God.
• Our priority should always be Jesus followed by the church, the house of God. 
• Jesus is the closest to the Father’s heart. You will never know how much God loves you until you know how much He loves Jesus. If God spared not the Son that He loves so deeply, how can He not freely give you all things (Rom. 8:32)? 
• The world is always focused on scarcity and lack. Here’s how it operates: the more you give, the less you have. But God’s economy is like this: the more you give, the more you get.
• In the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 (John 6), the boy gave his five loaves and two small fishes in simple faith and received 12 baskets full of leftovers in return. This is something the world cannot understand. Just like Andrew’s initial response, “. . . but how far will they go among so many?”, the world cannot see what God can do with the little we have. 
• Even when we receive a bad report or find ourselves in a difficult situation, we can rely on God’s goodness in our lives. If your teenager at home is being difficult, it could be because the devil is trying to prevent them from living out their God-given calling. But do not worry, God’s hand of love and protection is still on your child’s life!

• There was a time when the Israelites were held in captivity in Babylon for 70 years. This can be seen as a type of “pandemic.” During their captivity, the prophet Daniel found a prophecy in the book of Jeremiah that Israel would only be in bondage for 70 years (Dan. 9:2). 
• We have to rely on both the Word and Spirit. The Spirit contains God’s power and the Word guides us to use His power according to His will. 
• Record down everything that the Spirit shows you, whether it is when you’re listening to a sermon or reading the Bible (Rev. 1:19).    
• When the Israelites were released after 70 years, some of them were already comfortable in Babylon and had forgotten God’s vision for them to be in Zion. These people represent those of us today who no longer have a heart for the church. In the end, only 42,000 Israelites returned to Jerusalem under the governor Zerubbabel. 
• Zerubbabel was governor but not king over Israel in order to fulfill the prophecy that there would be no more kings over Israel until Jesus came. At Zerrubabel’s right hand was the high priest, Joshua. Together, they form a picture of royal priesthood.
• Jesus is the King Priest and we are His royal priesthood. To be royalty means that our words have power (Ecc. 8:14, Prov. 18:21), so let’s use our words to speak well over our situations. 
• When the Israelites returned to Jerusalem, the first thing they did was restore the Temple of Solomon. The Bible records that the young people rejoiced because they had never seen the original temple, but the older generation wept because they had seen the original temple in all its glory. Meanwhile, the Jews who remained in Babylon had lost sight of God in their lives. 
• When the Jews who had returned to Jerusalem began to restore the temple, they started with the altar of burnt offering, a picture of Jesus on the cross. This represents how every revival must start with returning to the cross. The preaching of the cross, in which we receive righteousness in Christ, must be central in the church.
• When the Israelites were trying to rebuild the foundations of the temple (a picture of the church), the Babylonians prevented their progress by sending letters of complaint and dissent to the king. In the end, the rebuilding of the temple stopped. This is akin to what we see on social media today—many are sharing their own opinions, whether accurate or not. We have to discern truth from lies and rely on God’s Word as the only truth.
• In fact, the real reason the king decreed that the Israelites stop rebuilding the temple was because he was afraid that they would stop paying taxes to him. That was the last thing on their minds! A true Christian, who knows that his supply comes from God, will gladly pay taxes (Mark 12:17).
• As a result of this interruption, the house of God was neglected for 12 years. After this time, God raised and sent to the Israelites the prophet Haggai, whose name means “my feast” in Hebrew—a picture of celebration and festivals.

• “Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, saying: ‘This people says, “The time has not come, the time that the Lord’s house should be built.”’ Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses, and this temple to lie in ruins?” Now therefore, thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways!
  You have sown much, and bring in little;
  You eat, but do not have enough;
  You drink, but you are not filled with drink;
  You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm;
  And he who earns wages,
  Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.””
  —Haggai 1:2–6 NKJV
• The Israelites used the king’s decree as an excuse to neglect God’s house and focus on themselves. They forgot to prioritize the building of the temple (a picture of the church). 
• When you prioritize the church, God will back you up. He will use everything He has to watch over you and make sure you are able to carry out His plans because you are aligned with His heart. Today, God is putting all of us back in alignment with Him so that we can shine for Him. 
• “You have sown much, and bring in little; You eat, but do not have enough; You drink, but you are not filled with drink; You clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; And he who earns wages, Earns wages to put into a bag with holes.” — This speaks of the lack of fulfillment from the things of the world. We can have everything we want but still remain unsatisfied.

• “Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Consider your ways! Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified,” says the Lord. “You looked for much, but indeed it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why?” says the Lord of hosts. “Because of My house that is in ruins, while every one of you runs to his own house. Therefore the heavens above you withhold the dew, and the earth withholds its fruit. For I called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain and the new wine and the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.””
  —Haggai 1:7–11 NKJV
• “Lord of hosts” — The first time this name is mentioned in the Bible is when Hannah called “Messiah.” Hannah means “grace” in Hebrew. “Lord of hosts” means God of all angels who can move people, change circumstances, and protect.  
• God will take care of what you need. He wants you to prioritize your Spirit. In everything you do, know that you are the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ and seek the principles of God’s kingdom first (Matt. 6:33).
• God’s principles go against the logic of the world, but they always achieve the positive outcomes the world desires. 
• Our heavenly Father’s heart is to provide for us (Matt 6:33). Similar to how we want our children to be well and healthy, God wants us, His children, to live a life of abundance. This is not a bad thing! Materialism in the church is wrong, and there are churches who twist the Word of God for their own benefit. But in this church, we are talking about following Jesus’ way. 
• When you focus on Jesus, God’s abundant supply will come to you.
• “Go up to the mountains and bring wood and build the temple, that I may take pleasure in it and be glorified” — You may feel like you do not have much to offer God, but as long as your heart is toward God’s house, He will take pleasure in it.
• Many times, you will find the answers for your life in God’s house. If the Word preached in a church raised by God speaks to you and you feel at home there, support it by staying there. There are many ways to support God’s house. You can support it financially, by praying for the church, and even by simply being present! 
• “For I called for a drought on the land and the mountains, on the grain and the new wine and the oil, on whatever the ground brings forth, on men and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands” — In this verse, we see nine things that God brought drought on. In the Bible, the number nine is a sign of chastisement. As children of God, we are still under discipline. God is not judging you or punishing you for sin, but He is correcting you with love.
• Parents should always discipline their children by reinforcing their identity in Christ. For example, instead of calling your child a liar, you can say to him or her, “You lied today, but you are a child of God. A Jesus kid tells the truth.” Children feel loved and cared for when their parents correct them.
• We must understand that the universe is in God’s hands. Hence, it is important for us to align ourselves with God and everything that He has will work for us. This does not mean that Christians will never suffer but that even in our suffering, the Lord is with us and working for us (Rom. 8:28).

• ““Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Now, ask the priests concerning the law, saying, “If one carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with the edge he touches bread or stew, wine or oil, or any food, will it become holy?” ’ ”
  Then the priests answered and said, “No.”
  And Haggai said, “If one who is unclean because of a dead body touches any of these, will it be unclean?” So the priests answered and said, “It shall be unclean.””
  —Haggai 2:11–13 NKJV
• According to ancient Jewish customs, the burnt offering consists of the meat and is all for God, the meal offering consists of flour and the people can partake of it, and the sin offering consists of the breast meat and it goes to those who offer it. The sin offering (where the breast meat is eaten by the offerer) is a picture of God’s love for you. 
• Have you been feeding on the love of Christ for you? Are you conscious that the Lord loves you? Whenever we gather in church, we can sense the tangible presence of the Lord correcting and readjusting our beliefs lovingly.
• ““If one carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with the edge he touches bread or stew, wine or oil, or any food, will it become holy?” ’ ” Then the priests answered and said, “No.”” — The edge of the garment refers to the tassel or wing of the garment, and it is a picture of healing (Mal. 4:2). This verse shows us that holiness, health, cleanness, and wholeness are not transferable under the law. 
• “And Haggai said, “If one who is unclean because of a dead body touches any of these, will it be unclean?” So the priests answered and said, “It shall be unclean.”” — This shows that while cleanness is not transferable under the law, uncleanness is.
• “Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment.  For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?””
  —Mark 5:25–30 NKJV
• “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” — This time, when the unholy touched the holy (Jesus), the unholy became holy.
• “Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”” — Jesus turning around to look for the woman is a picture of Him welcoming us into a one-to-one, face-to-face relationship. Even Moses never saw God’s face. This woman got to look directly into Jesus’ face, and she was also the first woman Jesus called daughter (v34).
• Under grace, holiness, health, and cleanness can be transferred to you.
• When Jesus met the woman with the issue of blood, He was on His way to heal Jairus’ daughter who died while He was on His way to her.
• “Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement. But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.”
  —Mark 5:41–43 NKJV
• This is in contrast to Haggai 2:13. Under the law, uncleanness and death could be passed on and defile a person. But death did not make Jesus unclean. Jesus came to defeat sin and death for us, once and for all. Under grace, sin and death cannot defile you. 
• In the world, where sin increases, judgment increases. But by God’s principle, the opposite is true—where sin increases, grace superabounds 
• “Since those days, when one came to a heap of twenty ephahs, there were but ten; when one came to the wine vat to draw out fifty baths from the press, there were but twenty.”
  —Haggai 2:16 NKJV
• This is a picture of supernatural lack under the law.  
• Meanwhile, the story of the five loaves and two fishes (Mark 6:41–44) is a picture of supernatural abundance under grace. The people ate until they were satisfied. 
• It is so important for us to see that the food multiplied in Jesus’ hands. This means that as the disciples were giving out the food, they had to continuously return to Jesus to get more supply. 
• The answer is always Jesus. 
• We are entering a time when evil will continue to increase in the world and the news will always report more bad news. It is our choice where we put our focus—we can choose to look to Jesus. We are entering the days when we will see supernatural supply and protection. We will see angels moving for us.

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