Rev Cole Cannon From This Day On, I Will Bless You!

When you learn how to ride a bike. And the master teaches you you never really forget it a man. Never never really forget it. I'm going to start this off.

a man a man as a point of privilege I just want to thank Pastor Ken and his lovely with the first lady of this church and his congregation for accepting us. And it's just been wonderful. Now. Let me just say one thing quickly here. They called me Jeremiah the weeping prophet. So so so if I'm tearing up,

That's just the way I am. And the way he uses me.

And I don't apologize a man.

There's a there's a couple other things that I usually start off with as housekeeping. And when I say housekeeping, I mean we live in Silicon Valley even though we're in the South Bay and

We have cell phone we have pads and I even have to check my own. I would like all of the phones either cut off or thank you. Thank you and let me tell you why I say that and I'm not going to do this long. Is that when I'm standing in this? Holy place.

I'm nervous. And I should be because this is God's place. And I'm merely a servant. If I hear the phone ring Church, what I'm thinking is God is trying to get a message to me and I'm so nervous. I don't hear it. So what I'm going to do if I hear phone ring, I'm going to stop and I'm going to ask whoever phone there's ringing. I'm going to stay. What is the master telling you to tell me. a man

see because I could be going in a wrong direction and he's trying to get my attention and so he get my attention through you. Amen.

Did the scripture today is haggai? Chapter 2 verses 10 through 19 and I'm going to have you to stand and read that it but just for a minute. Let me let me just say one thing and then we'll stand. Preaches 10 not to speak any time from the Old Testament. We always have most of all sermons coming from the New Testament but both Testaments or import. And the old cannot be the new cannot exist without the old because he said I come not to change the law but to fulfill it. Amen. Amen. So if you would stand with me while we read this if it's a little empty, but you will understand by and by when I get into it.

On the 24th day of the 9th month the second year of Darius the word of the Lord came to the prophet. Haggai. This is what the Lord Almighty says ask the priest what the law says. In someone cares consecrated me in the fold of their garment and that fold touches some bread a stool was some wine or some olive oil or other food. Does it become consecrated? And the priest said no. Did haggai said If a person defile by contact with a dead body touches one of these things does it become defile? Yes, Dupree did the priest reply it becomes defile. Den Haag I said so it is with this people and this nation in my site declare the Lord whatever they do and whatever they offer there is defile. Now give careful thought to this from this day on consider how things were before one. Stone was laid on another in the Lord's Temple. When anyone take measures there will only 10 when anyone went to the wine bad to draw 50 measures. There were only 20. I struck all of the work of your hands with blight mildew hell yet. You didn't turn to me declares the Lord. From this day on from this 24th day of the 9th month give careful thought to the day when the foundation of the large Temple was laid give careful thought. Is there yet to see left in the bar until now the vine and the Fig Tree and the pomegranate and the Olive Tree and not born in the fruit from this day on I Will Bless You amen you may be seated.

Let us bow our heads.

I'll father now God. Your people are waiting to hear word from you this morning. Send down your word that makes preaching possible. Did make preaching purposeful. practical and Powerful and then send the preacher. You know who he is?

Lower me down into the recesses of your word. And when I come up Lord, let your people see all of you and none of me. Help me the preacher sermon this morning. That is not just good. But the preacher sermon that would do some good.

So let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart of our hearts be acceptable in your sight. amen Speak Lord

I come weekly and I see Pastor can walking around and sometimes he walks from one side to the other side. He's prepared. And and he wants you to respond to make sure you're not asleep.

So I'm here to tell you this morning preaching. Is not a monologue. It's a dialogue. Amen. Amen. So if you don't want me to be up here more than 20 minutes. You better say something cuz I think your sleep but I can see you out there though when I'm standing. That's the reason I stand here see our potential future brother Isaiah. He asked me.

Are you going to be better than that other preacher last week?

So so see that other preacher last week, I know him and I know him from years back Reverend Reverend Thompson. He ran down the aisle and he jumped up on the seat. Well, the Lord doesn't give it to me that way and not only that you.

Because I'm only a couple years from 80 years old.

See couple of months. So the Lord is Blessing Me. All right, let's get started.

I'd like to see the sea and raise that says are your hand available? What God's work in this world today? Because of church we living in the end times eschatology time will we living in perilous times? So so we've got to be ready. Well, I want to turn your attention this morning to a simple message. with a major promise a simple message with the major promise the book of haggai is only two chapters only two chapters, but it's a wonderful book. 4 prophecies given over a full month. To 50,000 Jewish Exile after they return to their Homeland. They came back with the priorities in order. They began to work on the Temple of the Lord, but after building the foundation Church.

They have priorities got all out of whack. They got all out of order. You know how that that can be we starting church. We are on fire for the Lord and and and 6 months down the road sometime. We ain't coming. We have another agenda and it's very hard to get back to that the gender so we need to do the word of the Lord and we start working on our own agendas a man. So haggai prophesied. 4 x over 4 months all over for Matt. To his people to get back to the Lord's work. The first prophecy naturally was a get back to work prophecy prophecies to three and four were Prophecies of encouragement. And people and they reorder that priorities but in the third prophecy. That was wonderful promise. And that's what I want to focus on this this morning verse 19 from this day on I Will Bless you. That's my topic. Let's go to verse. 17 it says I struck all of the work. Of your hands with black mildew. Inhale yet. You didn't turn to me declares the Lord. Now want you to give careful thought to the question in verse 19. There is yet there is is there yet in a seed in the bar?

until now Divine the Fig Tree the pomegranates and the Olive Tree have borne no fruit. But the master is saying at that point from this day on I will bless you. That isn't that wonderful that the Lord will bless you from this day on but there's a caveat provided that you are obedient to his word to his will and to his way.

I've held many jobs in my working career, which is been over 50 years. One of which I was working in Finance and Accounting and more specifically in accounts receivable in large corporations. And I church I've seen very very large checks come across my desk. Some of these checks were a 20,000 some of them were $50 and fifty thousand and I've held these checks in my hand and I will stand myself. How can I get my hand? How can I get my name brother on on some of those checks? Well needless to say I wasn't able to because I may not have been standing here now and the Lord Lord using me in another way. He said you don't need your name on that check.

But I'm here to tell you this morning that the large word have some very large checks a man and I'm spent these last few decades. They're diligently trying to get my name on some of those summer Gods checks. Amen. Now what a wonderful check is in verse 19. Because it's a promise. From this day on I will bless you. I answer promise because church is an immediate blessing because it's because it says from this day on. It's a promise of an everlasting blessing because it never stops. You could see it never stops.

What a wonderful promise of God and we can have that promise. We can have that promise from this day on I will bless you now some of you might be out there saying well preacher. What are you saying here? What day is that day that he's going to bless me. A man will I'm glad you asked I'm glad you asked. If we look closely at the passage, it describes three steps. That that day can be your day. And you can receive that promise from this day on I will bless you. Now I'm going to eat here a little bit. So open your bibles. Are you or your devices? on the screen in front of me

the Lord said to Hagar. Go ask to preach the question. Now watch this that is a legal question church. And the question is if a person carries consecrated beach in the fold of His Garment and a hold of me text you something else such as wine of oil. Does that Holy me make those things that are Unholy and what did the priest say? He said no, In other words that which is holy cannot make that which is Unholy, holy. All right, then you ask another question If a person defile like contact with dead bodies touches one thing one of those things like wine or others. That on can that make it on holding and the pre said yes. So that which is holy can't make that which is Unholy, holy. But that which is Unholy can make that which is holy Unholy. Amen. I think I said something there. I'm going to say that again. That which is that which is holy can make that which is Unholy, holy. But that which is Unholy can make that which is holy Unholy. Now in other words what that is saying break it down and make it clear One Bad Apple. Can spoil the whole Barrel? One Bad Apple can for the whole Bell a lot of young people don't understand that. But some of us that does along the way understand that I listen to what he says in verse 14. He says so it is this people That everything they offer me is file e-file. Here's the first step that I was talking about. Those three step. Those three steps. You can get your name on that check. This is the first step of cashing that that check you've got to understand that religion is no substitute for righteousness religion is no substitute for writing. In other words. You cannot come to church and live like you want to and then come to church and think that by coming to church it's going to cancel out what you been doing. Amen, God says what happens is as soon as your Unholy has touch or hold it praise it cancels it out. So you better stop listening to people that tell him to death that that's telling you church that you can praise your way through anything because that ain't true at some point. You've got to repent. God does inhabit the Praises of his people but he doesn't like it when they lift up dirty hands a man. God said lift up. Holy hands. We got too many people Church in church today trying to substitute religion for righteousness.

No, God said there is no substitute. I want you to live a holy life in my side. Religion is no substitute for righteousness. Okay, let's move on to the second step. Just getting out name on that check so we can cash it. Let's go to verse 15. God goes on to say in verse 15. Where he carefully where he gets careful thought to from this day on. God said consider how things were before one stone was laid on another in doing the Lord's Temple. He also said when anyone came to a heap of mid 20 measures and he thought he had 20 cups of flour or meal or whatever. It was. He said they would get there and they were fine that there was only 10. God also said that when anyone went to the wind bed and they thought they had 50 gallons or 50 quarts of whatever they were drinking and they looked again and they only saw 20. so somehow Things with disappearing. Amen As a matter of fact when you get home and you have a little time go over to haggai chapter 1 and just read that and God says it's like you're working putting your money in a bag. That has holes in it man. And he says what's happening is in your life is that you're beginning you're being put on a treadmill Church. Were you making steps going forward? But every time you make steps forward something is pulling you back. But he was just surprised. in verse 17 God says I struck that this is important. All the work of your hands. In other words. The reason you are not progressing is because I've undermined you I wouldn't mind you. The reason you're not going forward is because as the young people say I'm slowing your roll. Amen. Amen. God said, I'm the one sabotaging your plans. Now that that concept doesn't fit into today's modern theological climate because every time something bad happens we want to blame who we want to blame the enemy and the enemy we call is Satan the preachers always talk talk about that. But all you have to do today. It just turned on the TV right now and you'll hear over and over and over again that everything is happening to you is the enemy somebody is doing it. But uh, I'm here to tell you it's not all the enemy. God said I did it. So he said I did it. the watch this I struck the work of you and I did it and even though I did you didn't turn to me you turn to your friends. You turned all these other other people who really at the end of the day. I cannot help you. I was working in your life. amen And it may not be may not have been the way that you wanted me to work. But I was working in your life and you didn't even know not only did you not turn you need even know it was me. So therefore you didn't turn to me.

Here's Step2 to claiming that promise. You've got to learn how to recognize and respond to God's voice a man.

Now go over to John 10 verse 45. Where Jesus said my sheep. No my voice. And a stranger they won't follow a man. That means you ought to know church when God is speaking in your life. You got to know. And you got to be quiet so you can listen. Sometimes you have to be on your knees and you don't get up until you hear that still small voice.

Let me share you with you. You can get the voice of God down to a formula, you know where this high-tech deal. So so we want to anticipate and detail to myself included so I'm not but you're unique. Where is positive if it's God and its negative if it's the enemy you can't decide that for God a man?

Let me give me an example of my immediate family for you. For example over the years. I've had to say to my daughter, please sit down and listen. When I say daughter's you doing a good job. Yes what they know. That's Daddy's voice and they know my voice. So they turn to me the same as all of you that have kids when you speak those kids are supposed to turn to you because they know your voice if I smoke they wouldn't necessarily know my voice, but they know your voice a man brothers and sisters. I want you to please understand that we've got to learn how to recognize God's voice. We got to see him. We got another only recognizes voice but we've got to see him moving in our lives and when we see him moving we can't ignore it.

That he's doing it. We've got to say father. I hear you. Father what is it that you would have me to do? We got to learn how to recognize and respond to the voice of God, Amen. Now you remember over in first king. Chapter 19 Verse 11 through 13 the Lord Joel Elijah and and some of you Bible scholars. I know you heard this this this before. He said he lied to go outside and I want you to stand out there because I'm coming. I'm going to speak to you. Elijah was being obedient. He went out there and when you got out there. There was a whirlwind. and that World Wind Cave crashing and tearing up the rocks and I'm sure that Elijah said That's got to be the power of God, but the Bible says it was not. In the God was not in the Whirlwind so as Elijah was standing out there the earthquake came. the Earth began to shake And I'm sure that Elijah said again, this is got to be God, but the Bible said God was not in the earthquake.

Now there's something that we are familiar with. Is the next thing that was a fire that came? And you know how destructive fires are cuz we're cuz we're involved in there now and reading and the Santa Ana winds and sand and San Diego they're very very destructive. And I know you lied you had to say this is got to be God and the Bible says no that wasn't Garden the fire. Elijah heard a still small voice a still Small Voice Church of got to learn how to recognize God's board and respond to him when he calls. That's the second step of getting your name on the check. We're almost through now. Will almost getting our name from a check the first step was religion is no substitute for righteousness. The Second Step was that we've got to learn how to recognize and respond to the voice of God. I'm going to give you one more step. Let's go to verse 18. From the 24th day of the 9th month the foundation of the Lord's Temple was laid. Now I want to give I want you to give careful thought to verse 19.

Is there any CiCi's left in the barn?

Search this is a real this is really a rhetorical question. Because the answer is no. No Seeds left in the bar until now the wine and the fig trees and the pomegranate cheese and olives. They're not boring any fruit. Now watch this no seeds in the barn. No fruit on the trees. And God says from this day on I will bless you. I mean when I I mean when I saw that and I was looking at what's going on now, here's what happened. As the elected the work of the Lord and God put holes in their bags and started to undermine that effort. They found that they had gotten down to nothing Church. The last seed they put in the ground. They planted the seeds and there was nothing left in the bar. If this crap doesn't come up there in trouble. Everything they now own is in the ground. What guess what? Jesse's some of us myself included we they had no contingency plan. We don't have plans. We don't have plan B. We don't know what we going to do in terms of Crisis. We haven't put that six months back where if we became unemployed we could live six months. Because we had savings enough of that. We have a plan that they're saying now 90% of the people in America. Don't even have a savings. Hey, man. Hey man, Churchville shouldn't be like that in the past as always. They saying that cuz we know that the Lord supplies all your needs according to his riches. Not your 401k. You're not your bag bank accounts.

Have any of you ever gone to your cupboards? And that's what we call him in the South the cupboards there the Patrick's now, you know the upscale.

And have they ever been completely empty and you were down to your last dime. Well, this is that third step to cash in that check. We've got to learn how to release. All of our resources into God's hand not our hands. The Jewish Exiles had gotten to the point where they had they were only depending on God. They put all the seeds in the ground and there was nothing left in the barn. If God doesn't show up there in trouble. If God doesn't do it. They don't have anywhere else to go. If God doesn't make a wager there is no way if God doesn't open the door for them. There's no door that can be open. If God doesn't do it. No one can do it. We've got to get to a place church. We got to give all of our resources and put them in God's hands now now when I say that church people look, Oddly it that I'm not saying that you have to put every dime you have in church. I'm not saying that. But I am saying that you need to let God control and that's the operative word. You got to let God control.

Not not something. but all of your resources Now watch this. Sometimes we have got to get down. God has to get us down to nothing before we were trust him with everything. We have a man sometimes God has to break us down to where we have nothing before we were trusted with all we have a man, but I'm going to tell you what I've done in the cannon household and I haven't always done that in the early years because I thought I was all that and a bag of chips a man. They run c c. But time brings about a change in life does so I tell you I've decided in my life that God doesn't have to get me down that far again before I trust him with everything hurts. Now noticed I don't know whether that went past you fast, but I said far down again. So when I said that that means I've been there so you I've already been down there.

I've already decided to give my family to it.

And I say God they're yours.

I've given him my career over the years not always. But as I move down just walk of life, and I said God that's yours, too.

I'm giving in my finances. and my relationships and I said God they're all yours.

And I said Lord, you don't have to get me down to nothing again before I would trust you with everything everything that I have not something. See a church what God wants you to do he wants us to know he wants us to know that we have somebody that we can lean on. He wants us to know that we have somebody that we can depend on. He wants us to know that we have somebody that we can trust in. And he is a holy partner Jesus. Who's the Christ? So we got to trust in church with everything we have because guess what life. Will deal you some bad hands, but if you have a partner that Jesus on the other side of that table. And that partner is the Living God it makes up. For all of those bad tan that you have do I have a witness here this morning?

Listen when you got God. As your partner. Life may deal you some. Bad hands life may do you some Harding? But God is a way maker in time of trouble life made a deal you Church some financial and legal problem, but he's a lawyer in a courtroom. life made deal used

but he's a doctor. Can a hospital?

enabler that if I had Jesus I don't have to throw in my hand Church. Because he makes and can make a difference. And he can make that difference in all of our lives. Because I'm reminded of an old hymn that says because he lives. Hi.

Because He Lives All fear is gone. So as I prepare to sit down. I want you to follow the three steps. So you can get your name on that check. Remember step one. Religion is no substitute for righteousness.

number two recognize God's voice and respond to his call. number three release all not some all of your resources in God's hand. So I want to challenge everyone under the sound of my voice this morning including myself. Write your name on that check from this day on I Will Bless You. Amen. Amen. And amen.