Repentance is where the message of Christ and His church begins. Repentance is how we begin the process of self examination, self correction, and self awareness. Repentance is the process whereby we change the direction of our life towards life rather than death. Repentance has real psychological and spiritual benefits. Repentance has an ongoing role in the life of every believer! Hit the LIKE button ? to help more people see this message QUESTION -- Have a question about This Message... Other Bible Questions... or Anything Else? Post in comments section of this video! -----Locate a UCG meeting near you------ ➤ http://ucg.org/congregations/ ? Find our podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/show/3BrkjwU3izZEBsmtx60swZ?si=a39330c58384413c Repentance begins our spiritual journey. In repentance we cry out to God for forgiveness. We accept Jesus Christ as our savior. We surrender ourselves completely to God: and make a conscious decision to obey: 1) we commit to a change in our behavior and obedience We surrender our self to his will and do what He instructs us to do 2) we commit our self to a complete rewiring of our mind and spirit. We trust God to take control of our life, to use instruction, together with trials, suffering, and other life experience to learn about our self... often to learn the awful truth about our self... and work together with Him to change it. Neither of these commitments is easy or pleasant. We may be tempted to take back control of our life… stop trusting in God so much… stop surrendering when we think God is asking too much of us. But when we put trust and surrender together with confidence and Faith in God’s ability to deliver we can experience a combination of peace and joy. Read this message on our blog - https://ucgraleigh.blogspot.com/2022/01/we-begin-with-repentance_01162932192.html

The message of the prophet Haggai speaks to the living spiritual temple of God as much as the old Jerusalem Temple. The spiritual temple of God is alive and well in the 21st century. Living stones are still added daily to the foundation stone which is Christ. The cornerstone and foundation is Christ and the members of God's Church are built up into a spiritual temple as living stones 1 Peter 2:4-5. This understanding allows us to see the instructions and history of the physical temple in Jerusalem as having meaning and application for us today. The message of Haggai to the people tasked with rebuilding the temple in 520 B.C. is filled with inspiration and warnings. Those inspiring and warning words offer us much needed course correction and guidance. Living stones are still being added to God’s new covenant temple. God still calls, chooses, and transforms people. We still have work to do in preparing a people for the day Christ returns. Haggais message is a message of restoration and rebuilding. The full and complete restoration will come and it will begin with the return of Christ in power and glory. For it says "in that day" the kingdoms, governments, armies of humanity separated from God will be brushed aside and replaced by coming king of kings, and Lord of Lords. Glory will be revealed… Peace will be administered through righteous rule with Christ as king of kings, and those who are Christ’s at His return seated at His right had as kings and priests. The very people… who are now the little flock… who are being restored and rebuilt and prepared for the coming of the King.