“The Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor or Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God.” Haggai 1:14
From the Lord’s work of moving upon the Prophets of old, to stirring up men like Samson to judge Israel, to the day of moving upon the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia so that the second temple would be built in Jerusalem, God has not ceased to intervene in answer to the prayer and faith by those seeking His glory, and the establishing of His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. Perhaps the greatest “stirring” came on the day of Pentecost, soon after the ascension of Christ into heaven. It was then that “something” occurred by the foreordained plan and will of God, that would change the world. That “something” was the outpouring of the Spirit of God upon all flesh. Up to that point, the relationship between the Spirit and the believers of the Old Testament, was one of God working upon and in the lives of those who sought God. Jesus’ words concerning the Spirit which would be given to His disciples after His departure was that He, the Holy Spirit, “…dwells with you, but will be IN you.” (John 14:17) This became a reality on the day of Pentecost when the disciples, one hundred and twenty in number, were gathered together to pray, their hearts and minds being in unison, seeking the Lord. The Spirit of God, by His working and moving, had a definite effect upon the disciples, especially according to the Lord’s works, “…and you shall receive POWER when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” (Acts 1:8) That power is associated with, and is the reason for, the resulting witness, or testimony in and through the believers. Christ was revealed in the power for them to declare the wondrous works of God, going forth to preach the gospel in the demonstration and power of the Spirit. The result would be that thousands would turn to the Lord and be saved. Does God still work in power to stir up His people, to empower them to not only in unison seek first the kingdom of God, (…in Zechariah’s day it was for the purpose of rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem), but in our day praying for Christ’s reign to come upon earth in the hearts of men as it is in heaven? God stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel a governor, Joshua a priest, and the remnant of the people, those who truly exercised faith in God, in Jerusalem, for the purpose of the rebuilding of the temple. And so, in our day, this same Spirit of Pentecost, residing in every believer on earth, waits to heart the cry of the heart, and the unified appeal of the body of Christ, that He should move again, stirring up the hearts of His people, so that His will can and will be done in these last days.
How is this to be done? It shall be accomplished first of all by understanding the reason for which the Spirit of God dwells in the heart of every believer, not to communicate Life to the soul alone, but with the communication of Christ’s life, there should be the concerted, symphonizing, believing prayer by the church, bringing to bear upon this sin-sick world, the moving and working of the Holy Spirit, to “…bring forth My Servant, the BRANCH.” (Zech. 3:8) This Servant and Branch is Christ Himself, who will one day come again to set up His kingdom and put all in order. Until that moment, the call and cry of the church is for this One who was lifted upon a cross to again, manifest His presence and power by the Holy Spirit, to be lifted up by the witness of Christ in His church, and the power of His life revealed in every believer.
Dear Father, Make us true intercessors. In Jesus’ name, Amen.