Nehemiah 5:9 Again I said, "The thing which you are doing is not good; should you not walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies?"
God put it in Nehemiah's heart to lead an effort to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem that had been decimated during the Bablylonian captivity of Judah. The inhabitants of Jerusalem were taken into captivity and Jerusalem lie in ruins. Years have gone by, the Babylonians have been overtaken by the Persians. The Persians allowed the Jews to start returning to Jerusalem. Nehmiah got special permission from the King to rebuild the Jerusalem wall. In Nehemiah's thinking, the honor and glory of the Lord are at stake. There is more to it than just rebuilding a wall.....a strong Jerusalem with a fortified wall occupied by the chosen people of God once again represented a strong testimony for the Lord. As long as the wall is in ruins, Jerusalem is a reproach to the name of the Lord.
As they start to rebuild the wall, the morale of the workers is challenged by the actions of some of their own countrymen. Some of the Jews were charging very high interest to those who needed to borrow money in order to buy food or pay their taxes. Nehemiah condemns this practice and tells them to stop doing it. In Nehemiah 5:9 Nehemiah appeals to them based on their fear of the Lord, and their testimony to the world. What Nehemiah is saying to them is this: Your practices are jeopardizing this project, and if this project is jeopardized then this damaged wall will continue to be a poor witness among the nations. A completed wall shows the world that the good hand of God is with us. For the sake of the witness of Jerusalem to the nations, stop what you are doing so you no longer jeopardize the mission.
What do we learn from the story? Anything that threatens unity among the people of God threatens the mission. In the New Testament we are not trying to build a wall around Jerusalem. But God has us on another project called the Great Commission. We are building the Kingdom of God. That is what God has told us to do. And we can not do it without each other. If the devil can manage to divide us he can keep us from the mission.
What type of church member are you? Are you a peace maker? Easy to get along with? Or are you always keeping something stirred up? Are you quick to forgive and difficult to offend or do you get upset over everything that happens that doesn't go your way?
Be the type of church member that guards the unity of God's people. Be a peacemaker. By protecting the unity of the church, you are helping to build the Kingdom of God.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Confidence
Psalm 27:3 Though a host encamp against me, My heart will not fear; Though war arise against me, In spite of this I shall be confident.4 One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD And to meditate in His temple.5 For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.
When trouble comes the natural reaction for us is often fear. Questions arise. We wonder about what is going to happen next. Uncertainty can be extremely intimidating. We begin turning over and over in our thinking all the possible scenarios dwelling upon all that could potentially go wrong if things get worse.
How are we to handle the uncertainties of life? This passage teaches us to handle them with confidence. Who can approach the uncertainties of life with confidence? The one who seeks to dwell in the house of the Lord.....the one who beholds His beauty and meditates in His temple.....that is, the one who pursues intimacy with the Savior.
When you have achieved that type of intimacy with Christ, in the day of trouble He becomes a refuge in which you can hide. You can therefore approach uncertainty with confidence! Confidence in yourself? Certainly not.....confidence in HIM!
Pursue intimacy with Christ. Seek Him. You will find Him if you do.....and through Him you will face uncertainty with confidence.
When trouble comes the natural reaction for us is often fear. Questions arise. We wonder about what is going to happen next. Uncertainty can be extremely intimidating. We begin turning over and over in our thinking all the possible scenarios dwelling upon all that could potentially go wrong if things get worse.
How are we to handle the uncertainties of life? This passage teaches us to handle them with confidence. Who can approach the uncertainties of life with confidence? The one who seeks to dwell in the house of the Lord.....the one who beholds His beauty and meditates in His temple.....that is, the one who pursues intimacy with the Savior.
When you have achieved that type of intimacy with Christ, in the day of trouble He becomes a refuge in which you can hide. You can therefore approach uncertainty with confidence! Confidence in yourself? Certainly not.....confidence in HIM!
Pursue intimacy with Christ. Seek Him. You will find Him if you do.....and through Him you will face uncertainty with confidence.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Tribute
Matthew 25:40 "The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'
For the last six years of my life I was privileged to know and work along side a man named Rev. Robert Earl Ange who served as Minister to Senior Saints at Bethel. He went home to be with Jesus Monday a week ago. I want to talk a little bit in this blog post about what I learned from Him.
The verse above catches the essence of Rev. Ange's life. He loved to minister to "the least of these". That is where his heart was. He spilled his life out ministering to people that would never be able to do anything for him. He was drawn to the helpless, the hopeless and wanted to be used of the Lord to bring a ray of sunshine into the life of people who would otherwise live a very gloomy existence on this earth. His heart broke for people who had become home bound, and for those whose health had deteriorated to the point that they were confined to nursing homes. I was half his age, I was his pastor, and yet he taught me. I am challenged by the life that Rev. Robert Earl Ange lived to never forget those who would fall into the category of "the least of these".
I have used what I like to call "my sanctified imagination" to imagine the interaction that Rev. Ange has had with Jesus since Monday a week ago. I wonder if Jesus has already said to Rev. Robert Earl Ange, "Thanks for what you did for me!" I suspect that Rev. Ange would respond with something like, "What did I do for you Jesus? I never felt like I did enough." And Jesus perhaps responded, "When you ministered to all those people who were the least of my brethren, you did it to me. Well done my good and faithful servant."
Thank you Rev. Robert Earl Ange for loving and living for Jesus. I am more like HIM because I knew you.
For the last six years of my life I was privileged to know and work along side a man named Rev. Robert Earl Ange who served as Minister to Senior Saints at Bethel. He went home to be with Jesus Monday a week ago. I want to talk a little bit in this blog post about what I learned from Him.
The verse above catches the essence of Rev. Ange's life. He loved to minister to "the least of these". That is where his heart was. He spilled his life out ministering to people that would never be able to do anything for him. He was drawn to the helpless, the hopeless and wanted to be used of the Lord to bring a ray of sunshine into the life of people who would otherwise live a very gloomy existence on this earth. His heart broke for people who had become home bound, and for those whose health had deteriorated to the point that they were confined to nursing homes. I was half his age, I was his pastor, and yet he taught me. I am challenged by the life that Rev. Robert Earl Ange lived to never forget those who would fall into the category of "the least of these".
I have used what I like to call "my sanctified imagination" to imagine the interaction that Rev. Ange has had with Jesus since Monday a week ago. I wonder if Jesus has already said to Rev. Robert Earl Ange, "Thanks for what you did for me!" I suspect that Rev. Ange would respond with something like, "What did I do for you Jesus? I never felt like I did enough." And Jesus perhaps responded, "When you ministered to all those people who were the least of my brethren, you did it to me. Well done my good and faithful servant."
Thank you Rev. Robert Earl Ange for loving and living for Jesus. I am more like HIM because I knew you.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Die to self
John 12:24 "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 "He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.
Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
Galatians 5:24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
As we have been through the Easter season, and as I have meditated upon the death and resurrection of our Lord, I have been contemplating all the implications for believers. They are many. Certainly we have the hope of eternal life in heaven to look forward to as a result of the death and resurrection of Christ. However, there are tremendous implications for this life as well.
Jesus died on the cross. He had to die in order to be raised from the dead. From His death came life!! And the bible says that Jesus was the "first fruits". Through this one who first conquered death, hell, and the grave many will conquer those things as well. Fruit comes from death.
The same is true of the believer. The believer produces fruit because he in a sense has died. He has been crucified with Christ in the sense that he is dead to self, and dead to this world. He is not interested any longer in selfish pursuits or ambitions. He has died to those things and crucified his own wants and desires. The chief aim of his life is now to please and glorify Christ. Christ is now on the throne of his life calling the shots.....The counsel of Christ is sought on all of life's decisions because the main interest is to be right in the center of God's will. The fruit of righteousness is the result. It only happens when there is a death. When a person dies to self, they are raised up by Christ to do HIS will.
That is what Jesus meant when He said that you love your life you will lose it. Jesus is painting a picture of the born again person. When a person is truly born again, they die to self. Sadly, some are too in love with themselves and their own agenda in life to ever be born again. Some of them even attend church. They attend church, but outside of church, life is pretty much about what they want, not what God wants. They may not born again. They may be lost church attenders.
But even for the truly saved crucifying the flesh continues to be a daily decision. That is why Jesus said you have to take up your cross "daily" and follow Him. It is a new decision every day for the believer to crucify the flesh or you will back slide on God.
Have you crucified your flesh today?
Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
Galatians 5:24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
As we have been through the Easter season, and as I have meditated upon the death and resurrection of our Lord, I have been contemplating all the implications for believers. They are many. Certainly we have the hope of eternal life in heaven to look forward to as a result of the death and resurrection of Christ. However, there are tremendous implications for this life as well.
Jesus died on the cross. He had to die in order to be raised from the dead. From His death came life!! And the bible says that Jesus was the "first fruits". Through this one who first conquered death, hell, and the grave many will conquer those things as well. Fruit comes from death.
The same is true of the believer. The believer produces fruit because he in a sense has died. He has been crucified with Christ in the sense that he is dead to self, and dead to this world. He is not interested any longer in selfish pursuits or ambitions. He has died to those things and crucified his own wants and desires. The chief aim of his life is now to please and glorify Christ. Christ is now on the throne of his life calling the shots.....The counsel of Christ is sought on all of life's decisions because the main interest is to be right in the center of God's will. The fruit of righteousness is the result. It only happens when there is a death. When a person dies to self, they are raised up by Christ to do HIS will.
That is what Jesus meant when He said that you love your life you will lose it. Jesus is painting a picture of the born again person. When a person is truly born again, they die to self. Sadly, some are too in love with themselves and their own agenda in life to ever be born again. Some of them even attend church. They attend church, but outside of church, life is pretty much about what they want, not what God wants. They may not born again. They may be lost church attenders.
But even for the truly saved crucifying the flesh continues to be a daily decision. That is why Jesus said you have to take up your cross "daily" and follow Him. It is a new decision every day for the believer to crucify the flesh or you will back slide on God.
Have you crucified your flesh today?
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Do not fear
Isaiah 41:10 'Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'
Last night at our deacon's meeting Rob Cornet gave a devotional from this passage of scripture. It really spoke to my heart. I went to bed last night meditating on it and woke up this morning with it on my mind.
The Lord is speaking in this passage and saying, "Do not anxiously look about you..." What does that mean? It means do not be looking around worrying about what could potentially go wrong. I know at times I look at circumstances and get my eyes on them, and then I start to imagine all the things that could possibly happen if those circumstances get worse. I then am paralyzed by a sense of dread in regards to the future. The Lord says not to do that. On what basis does the Lord tell us not to let anxiety rule and reign in our hearts? On the basis of His ability to strengthen us! He says that He will strengthen us and uphold us with His right hand. So if that is true there is no reason to worry, fret, or fear. No matter what we face, God will help us.
Rest in Him today, and do not fear what the future holds. He will give you what you need to face whatever is ahead.
Last night at our deacon's meeting Rob Cornet gave a devotional from this passage of scripture. It really spoke to my heart. I went to bed last night meditating on it and woke up this morning with it on my mind.
The Lord is speaking in this passage and saying, "Do not anxiously look about you..." What does that mean? It means do not be looking around worrying about what could potentially go wrong. I know at times I look at circumstances and get my eyes on them, and then I start to imagine all the things that could possibly happen if those circumstances get worse. I then am paralyzed by a sense of dread in regards to the future. The Lord says not to do that. On what basis does the Lord tell us not to let anxiety rule and reign in our hearts? On the basis of His ability to strengthen us! He says that He will strengthen us and uphold us with His right hand. So if that is true there is no reason to worry, fret, or fear. No matter what we face, God will help us.
Rest in Him today, and do not fear what the future holds. He will give you what you need to face whatever is ahead.
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