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Today is Wednesday June 09, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Nehemiah chapters 9-10. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this link onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-june-9
Today's Message: A New Chapter Begins
The Bible was written to give us directions, to show us how we can live life to the fullest, yet still have some morals and recognize what an awesome, powerful God we have. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” - II Timothy 3:16,17. Most people in the world have to have some sense that we had to be created somehow and it certainly was not from a speck that somehow turned into grass, then trees, then tadpoles billions of years ago into what we are today. Someone had to create everything on earth, first, no one or thing can evolve into something else. There may be different breeds, but no specie can break off or mix with another to create a new specie. That someone is God and He chose the people of Israel to be His mouth and to represent Him. Little by little pages were written documenting the state of Israel and the people known as God's people. They were no different then we are today, very few followed Him, generations would go by and not a mention of God or who He is came to mind. Then all of a sudden one person did not want to be like the rest of the world and choose to learn more about this awesome God and once again the Book was found, opened, and read, and a new generation begins serving God and a new chapter begins.
The wall surrounding Jerusalem was complete and a revival had just begun, the people were eager to know about this God they heard about. There was a book, but they could not understand it because it was written in the Hebrew language, which is why the New Testament was written in the Aramaic language. Ezra and several others gathered all who wanted to know about this awesome God together and began reading and learning His Word and Law. Upon learning what they had been unaware of they immediately began to repent and seek forgiveness, not only for themselves, but for the generations that had forsaken God. “Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them. And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers. And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD their God...Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, Stand up and bless the LORD your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise. Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.” - Nehemiah 9:1-3,5,6. Those who find out the truth and realize they have been living a sinful life immediately begin to think about current sins and seek forgiveness. As they continue to read and learn more about what God has to say, everything starts coming out. A new chapter begins, one that is full of repentance and worship. It is an amazing feeling to go to God and ask Him for forgiveness and receive it by His mercy and grace through the Lord Jesus Christ. It is like a huge weight comes off your shoulders and you can not help, but thank the Lord and praise Him for being such a merciful God. Praise God! We must make it a point to read and learn all of God's Word. If you do not understand it, find someone who knows it to explain it to you or simply ask God, the Holy Spirit will help you understand it.
The completion of the wall provided protection from the surrounding enemies and provided peace of mind to hear what God had to say. They wanted to know all of God's Word and little by little they learned about the generations before them and how they came to be at present. The Israelites bound themselves with an oath to restore the tithes and sacrifices which the Law had earlier ordained. “They clave to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and his judgments and his statutes;...Also we made ordinances for us, to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God; For the shewbread, and for the continual meat offering, and for the continual burnt offering, of the sabbaths, of the new moons, for the set feasts, and for the holy things, and for the sin offerings to make an atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God.” - Nehemiah 10:29,32,33. Though they were impoverished and oppressed, they undertook to give such things as were needed for the full service of the Temple. It is important that we put God first in our giving, putting God first in all things blesses us abundantly, it may not look like it at the time, but give it time and all of a sudden you will look back and say, I am truly blessed.
The second a person accepts Jesus Christ as their Savior a new chapter begins, there are so many chapters in history documenting the power of God that even go beyond what we learn in the Bible, so many that if they were in the Bible it would be an endless book. You can write a chapter documenting the wonderful power of God on your life as He changes it to one that finally has meaning to it or you can write one documenting a life that just remained as though you never knew the name Jesus Christ. It's up to you, but remember one thing, you are a child of God, a representative of Christ, who was sinless and died to save you from your sins and hell. “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” - II Corinthians 5:17-21. Praise God! If you think a life can not be changed by giving your life to Christ ready by testimony http://www.readytofollow.com/my-testimony
Enjoy the rest of your day/night week.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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