Walking The Narrow Path

Date: Saturday, May 22, 2015
Chapters: Nehemiah 11-13
Message Title: Walking The Narrow Path

Hello My Friend,

Christians, we come from all walks of life, some serve God in His church, some serve God on the road or in the workplace. Some are content to live their lives the best they know how and never pick up a Bible. Oh, they are not bad people, but they are missing out on some great opportunities because they did not bother to see how God felt about how they live their lives. The decision to walk with Christ is not always the most beautiful path, but the end of the journey will be all worth it. “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” - Matthew 7:13,14.

When Nehemiah left Babylon he was determined to bring the presence of God back to Jerusalem and everything was moving in the right direction. Ezra and his crew were successful at restoring the temple, Nehemiah and his crew were successful at repairing the walls that would keep the world out. For the first time in nearly a hundred years the Book of the Law had been read, the passover was observed, and thousands of people willingly promised to serve God. However, very few of the people actually lived within the walls of Jerusalem, most of them lived in the suburbs where they could make a living more easily. Because of this, there was not enough people living in Jerusalem to maintain and protect it. An account is given of the Levites who willingly offered to stay in Jerusalem. “And the rulers of the people dwelt at Jerusalem: the rest of the people also cast lots, to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem the holy city, and nine parts to dwell in other cities. And the people blessed all the men, that willingly offered themselves to dwell at Jerusalem. Now these are the chief of the province that dwelt in Jerusalem: but in the cities of Judah dwelt every one in his possession in their cities, to wit, Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the Nethinims, and the children of Solomon's servants.” - Nehemiah 11:1-3.

Jerusalem is the only city on earth called by God the holy city and where He chose to put His name. Only one in ten people chose to forsake the comfortable living of the world to live within the walls of Jerusalem and dwell with God. There are many people today who have called on the Lord Jesus Christ to save them, but very few give up the comforts of the world to dwell with Him, but those of us who do find a comfort in Christ find comfort that nothing in the world can give them. “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” - Philippians 4:11-13.

Nehemiah went to the people and encouraged them to return to God, it was a revival, the Levites and those of Judah and Benjamin returned to God with great joy and began to rebuild the city. “So stood the two companies of them that gave thanks in the house of God, and I, and the half of the rulers with me: And the priests; Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets; And Maaseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Jehohanan, and Malchijah, and Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang loud, with Jezrahiah their overseer. Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with great joy: the wives also and the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off. And at that time were some appointed over the chambers for the treasures, for the offerings, for the firstfruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the portions of the law for the priests and Levites: for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites that waited. And both the singers and the porters kept the ward of their God, and the ward of the purification, according to the commandment of David, and of Solomon his son.” - Nehemiah 12:40-45.

It can be easy to get so sidetracked when the pressures of life come knocking at the door, and sadly, it is during times like these when most lose sight of God. When we get to that point we must step back and seek our own personal spiritual revival. It's amazing what praising can do when we worship the one true God. “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:5-7.

After being in Jerusalem for about twelve years Nehemiah said it was time to return home to Babylon, after all the temple was in order and everyone was serving God faithfully. He went home and sadly it did not take long before they began neglecting their duties, including the spiritual leaders and temple workers. When Nehemiah arrived he was stricken with grief, how could such a small town get so out of touch with God so fast. Nehemiah quickly gathered everyone together, began upbraiding them and reminding them why they were to separate themselves from among them in the first place.

“And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy. In those days also saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab: And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people. And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves. Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin. Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God in marrying strange wives?” - Nehemiah 13:22-27.

The things that people have done in the past should be a warning that we as Christians are to be separated by those who live in the world. It does not matter how strong our faith, we will fall if we are not walking with Christ daily. It's time to stop living the way we want to live and start living the way God wants us to live, we will save ourselves a lot of heartache and suffering in we kept the world out of our lives. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” - Romans 12:1-3.

Today's Prayer: God, I have spent time trying to live the way I wanted to live, and while I did have some success, it didn't last, and it always proved to be a sinking ship. I do not want to walk through the wide gate anymore, it only brings pain and suffering, I want to walk travel the narrow path, the one led by Your Son, who took my place on the cross for the sins I deserved. Lord, lead me and guide me, give me Your power to stay on the narrow path, give me the strength to separate myself from the world and let me not be tempted by it's visage of evil. Keep me in Your Word and walking with You daily so I do not fall off the narrow path. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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The Joy Of The Lord

Date: Friday, May 22, 2015
Chapters: Nehemiah 8-10
Message Title: The Joy Of The Lord

Hello My Friend,

The joy of the Lord, when life rips apart our joy, we do not have to sit there and take it, we do not have to get depressed and go over every detail, blaming ourselves for what happened. We do not have to feel like a failure, because we are not. We are human beings with human feelings, we love, laugh, cry, get angry, and jealous, but we are made in the very image of God, and that means God feels what we feel. Don't let the devil steal your joy, get to Jesus and He will give you the strength to keep going. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” - Romans 5:1-5.

The ultimate purpose God had for His people returning to Jerusalem was more than just the restoration of the temple and the walls. These were man-made structures and powerless to protect them from their enemies unless they knew God and obeyed His Word. Unfortunately the Book of the Law was written in Hebrew, which many of the new generation did not understand. However, Nehemiah and thousands of Jews assembled at sunrise in Jerusalem day after day to hear Ezra and the Levites read and explain the Book of the Law so they could know how to live the way God intended. “And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law. Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength. So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved. And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.” - Nehemiah 8:9-12.

We mess up quite a bit in this life, sometimes even when we are faithfully serving God, but that is what His grace is for. Thank God for His endless grace, and His mercy because God does not measure us on our past mishaps, He measures us on our faith and obedience to Him. Of course, we are going to mess up, but we can't dwell on the past, seek forgiveness from God and enjoy life. Eat and drink of His blessings and tell others about how merciful and graceful He is to all as we walk in the joy of Jesus Christ having saved us from more than the fiery pit of hell. “His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” - Matthew 25:21.

We can hear God's Word, but the hard part is doing what He says. Ezra and several others gathered all who wanted to know about God and attentively listened to the Book of the Law spoken to them. “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. Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day. Behold, we are servants this day, and for the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold, we are servants in it: And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins: also they have dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we are in great distress. And because of all this we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests, seal unto it.” - Nehemiah 9:1-3,32,36-38.

Those who allow Christ to live in and through them find joy not only in His blessings, but convictions as well. When we will feel conviction from past or present sins, almost immediately we begin to seek forgiveness from God. It is an amazing feeling to go to God and ask Him for forgiveness and as long as we are sincere, receive it, confident that it is by His grace that we are forgiven. When we confess our sins to God we are just getting the weight of the sin off our shoulders and one cannot help, but cry, thank God and praise Him for being such a merciful God. We must make it a point to read and learn all of God's Word, Old and New Testaments, while we are no longer subject to the Laws of Moses, the principles of being godly and separated from the world still apply. We belong to Christ, He shed His blood for us so we do not have to be cast into hell and the lake of fire. We need to rejoice in that fact daily, and stop letting the past control our future. Confess your sins, let go of them, hand them over to Jesus, and just bask in His joy. “Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me. Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant. And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness and of thy praise all the day long.” - Psalms 35:26-28.

The completion of the wall provided them with protection from surrounding enemies and provided them with peace of mind to hear what God had to say. Those that were sealed or saved 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 where they were at present.

“And the rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the porters, the singers, the Nethinims, and all they that had separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons, and their daughters, every one having knowledge, and having understanding; 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; And that we would not give our daughters unto the people of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons: And if the people of the land bring ware or any victuals on the sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on the sabbath, or on the holy day: and that we would leave the seventh year, and the exaction of every debt. 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;” - Nehemiah 10:28-32.

"Entered into a curse", means that the people vowed to be connected to the temple as one, meaning that together they were one body of God and if they were to separate from the temple they would not know how to face affliction, placing a curse upon themselves. All who accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour are One Body of Christ, we cannot be separated from God, but it can feel like it to those who are living in sin. Affliction comes to all, but those who separate themselves from God in a sense are cursed because they are trying to figure it out on their own, but all who come to God will find joy through them. “Knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;” - 2 Corinthians 4:14-17.

Today's Prayer: Jesus, Thank You for the sacrifice You made by giving Your life so that I can have eternal life. You shed Your blood so that I did not have to spend eternity in hell, I believe in all that You are and that You alone are the only one who can save me. I am sealed by Your blood and am forever grateful for what You have done for me. Forgive me for the times I become forgetful of what You have done for me and continue to do in my life. Help me to keep stay in Your Word and follow it so that I will not become separated from You. Fill me with Your joy for You are my strength and the only one who can carry me through. I love You and pray in Your name, Jesus. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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No Fear

Date: Thursday, May 21, 2015
Chapters: Nehemiah 5-7
Message Title: No Fear

Hello My Friend,

Did you know that the devil has read the Bible? He knows Scripture, and what he does with it is bring utter chaos between professing Christians. It drives me crazy when people twist God's Word, sometimes to the point that I question myself sometimes. That is when I stop and think about what is being said and what God actually says. Now, I know God allows us to interpret the Bible in different ways and that we are not going to always agree on everything we discuss, but our core beliefs need to line up with what God says, and if they do not than it's the devil telling you what to believe and not God. “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.” - Colossians 2:6-8.

The devil has no problem with us believing in God or even accepting Christ, but if he can get a professing Christian to stop or delay the work that God has called them to do then he has done his job. The devil will use anyone, and I mean anyone, to hinder a person. Nehemiah and his small group of people were determined to get the walls built around Jerusalem. When the devil realized that intimidation from the world could not stop them, he turned to the halfhearted Jews. The Jews foolishly accepted loans from them and now they were having a hard time paying them back and they came to Nehemiah for help.

“And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews. For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many: therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat, and live. Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth. There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards. Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards. And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will ye even sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? Then held they their peace, and found nothing to answer. Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies?” - Nehemiah 5:1-5,8,9.

Basically Nehemiah's response was, “You should have feared God and you wouldn't have been in this mess.” Fearing God has nothing to do with being afraid of Him, it's actually the opposite. Fearing God means to respect Him and His judgments, it's honoring Him for all that He has done for us, even when He allows things to happen in our lives, it's loving Him back, even when it seems like He is no where to be found. Fearing God helps us put the devil in his place and put God in His also, above all that we do. “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:” - Hebrews 12:28.

First, the devil tried to get the worldly people to hinder Nehemiah to no avail, then he tried the Jews to no avail, and now, it was up to him, he used Sanballat to hinder him by fear. “Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;) That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief. And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you? Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart. For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.” - Nehemiah 6:1-3,8,9.

Perhaps the biggest tactic that devil uses to hinder us is fear, the afraid to do anything kind of fear, he loves to place fear in our minds, and 90% of the time it's fear that keeps us from moving forward. We can overcome the devil through the power of God and even if we become weak and fall, God will pick us back up. Let's face it, we are going to mess up from time to time, but we have a great God to help us. Believe it or not, every time we mess up, God prepares us to be ready for any person or thing for the next attack. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” - 1 Peter 5:8-10.

Now, when the devil cannot hinder us from doing God's work, the next trick before he leaves us alone for a while is to attack us when we are finished and relaxing a bit. The walls surrounding Jerusalem were finally repaired, the city was huge and still needed a lot of work, but very few people were in it. Armed guards stood at the only entrance into the city, the gates were open during the day, but once the gates were closed no one was allowed to go through unless their names were found written in a register book. The register book was the Israelites only documentation that they were true Israelites that came from Babylon, anyone not found written in the book was considered an impostor and denied entrance.

“Now it came to pass, when the wall was built, and I had set up the doors, and the porters and the singers and the Levites were appointed, That I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem: for he was a faithful man, and feared God above many. And I said unto them, Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun be hot; and while they stand by, let them shut the doors, and bar them: and appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, every one in his watch, and every one to be over against his house. Now the city was large and great: but the people were few therein, and the houses were not builded. And my God put into mine heart to gather together the nobles, and the rulers, and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy of them which came up at the first, and found written therein,” - Nehemiah 7:1-5.

The same way in which a person can enter through the gate in Jerusalem, is the same way a person can enter the Kingdom of God. Whether Jew or Gentile, we must have our names written in the Book of Life or we cannot enter the gates to heaven. Many people will stand before Jesus to get the shocking news that they are denied entrance through those gates. It's not what we do that gets us to heaven, it's knowing Jesus Christ as our Saviour that does that. “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” - Matthew 7:21-23.

Today's Prayer: God, I understand that there are some things that You allow me to go through so that I can learn from my mistakes and be an example to others, but I truly want to live my life the way You want me to. Lord, keep my eyes, ears, and heart on You, and help me to let go of hindrances that keep me from completing the work You have given me to do. Help me to be aware of the dangers approaching and to listen for the truths You tell me and not the lies that others want me to believe. Let me be discerning, cordial to others, yet not listen to their vain or my own understanding, but Yours. Put Your hedge of protection around me and kick the devil to the curb, I am not going to let him intimate me by fear or any other way that can hinder me from doing what You call me to do. I ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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The Power Of Hope

Date: Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Chapters: Nehemiah 1-4
Message Title: The Power Of Hope

Hello My Friend,

The Book of Nehemiah is the sixteenth book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains thirteen chapters. The author of the book is Nehemiah and it was originally written to the Jews. The timeline for these events are approximately 446 BC to 434 BC. The purpose of the book was to continue showing the history of Israel and the rebuilding of Jerusalem. What we are to learn from the book is that there will always be opposition whenever we choose to serve God, but work without faith is dead. “And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.” - Nehemiah 6:16.

About ten years after Ezra gathered people to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem a relative of Nehemiah's arrived in Persia and told Nehemiah of the conditions that still existed there. Nehemiah, who knew the Scriptures and the power of prayer and fasting, stood before God. “And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven, And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments: Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned. We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses. O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cupbearer.” - Nehemiah 1:4-7,11.

Nehemiah reminded God of the promise He made to His people, and even though they were scattered all over the world, he knew one day they would come together as one in His Kingdom. While God does not need us to give Him reminders of His promises, He does like to know that we acknowledge His Word and have faith in it. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” - Hebrews 11:1,6.

Nehemiah left all the luxuries of home, and, by faith, headed for Jerusalem, when he arrived he was devastated at the conditions of the place where God put His name. “So I came to Jerusalem, and was there three days. And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon. And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire. Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach. Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.” - Nehemiah 2:11-13,17,18.

In all my years as a Christian I have come to learn one valuable thing, it takes a godly leader to make a godly nation, one person they look up to and will listen to. So many people are struggling, they search for hope, but the majority of the time the corrupted leaders are the ones giving them false hope, they will do anything to have hope of something better. All it takes is one person willing to give it all for God, no matter how much opposition you get to bring true hope, everlasting hope, but we as Christians must be willing to get out of our comfort zones and be that hope. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” - Romans 12:1-3.

The work began and everything was going great, that was until the corrupted leaders realized what was going on. “But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews. And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned? Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall. Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity: Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.” - Nehemiah 4:1-4,9.

Nehemiah knew that God was on his side and that as long as he was in His will he had nothing to fear. Of course, the closer we draw near to God, the more opposition we will face from the devil. He will send many people and objects in our path to try and stop us from being so faithful to God. However, God gives us the power to stand up and continue to do His work without fear. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,” - 2 Timothy 1:7-9.

Today's Prayer: God, As Your child I know I can do all things through Christ, but I know I have let obstacles discourage me into giving up. Thankfully, You never give up on me so easily and are eager to get me back on my feet and looking for that hope that only You can give. Lord, give me Your power to break through every obstacle, to have confidence in You, to trust You in every decision I make. Help me to let go of any obstacles that keep me from moving forward, and let keep me looking to You for that hope that no one else can give me. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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Keeping Afloat

Date: Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Chapters: Ezra 7-10
Message Title: Keeping Afloat

Hello My Friend,

As Christians, when we first begin walking with Jesus we feel like we can walk on water, and we see so many blessings unfold. Then all of a sudden the devil creeps in, not too much, just a little bit, he brings up something from our past or something we long for, and we start to sink. Oh, we still serve God, but something is amiss, it pulls us down further and further, and if we do not get help, we drown. There is hope for all of us, and that hope is Jesus Christ, we must realize that Jesus is always with us, He is our life preserver, and He's not going to let us drown. So, while we may be ready to sink to the bottom, Jesus says otherwise, He will never let us go. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.” - John 10:27-29.

Ezra was born during the Jews Babylon, he wasn't aware of all the events that took place prior to their captivity. He was a descendant of Aaron, Israel's first high priest and was accepted the call to Jerusalem to bring spiritual leadership to the people. Now, that all the work had been completed we are given an account of Ezra and the people who willingly accepted the call to rebuild the temple. “This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him. And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king. And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.” - Ezra 7:6-10.

You never know when the call will come to serve God, and many times He will take us out of our comfort zone to do it. Before I dedicated my life to Christ and began serving God, I was raised a Catholic, I had no idea that my entire life I was being taught wrong. It wasn't until I began reading and studying the Bible myself that I learned the truth about God, Jesus, and even the Holy Spirit. People teach what they think God is all about every day, but unless our heart is prepared to seek the Word of God, and do it, we will never know God nor do we have any right to teach others about Him. “It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself. Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.” - 2 Timothy 2:11-16.

Ezra recalls his time in Babylon, having received the call from the king to assemble a group of people willing to go to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and city. Ezra was a little overwhelmed about the job God had given him to do, but he knew God was with Him and would guide him in the right direction. Over seventeen hundred men volunteered to go to Jerusalem, before going any further the entire team fasted and prayed to God. “And I gathered them together to the river that runneth to Ahava; and there abode we in tents three days: and I viewed the people, and the priests, and found there none of the sons of Levi. Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance. For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him. So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us.” - Ezra 8:15,21-23.

There is a saying, “Many hands make light work.”, and while God does call us to take that step and follow Him individually, He knows we cannot do everything ourselves, therefore, He entreats helpers. Jesus said that the faith of a mustard seed is all that is needed to move mountains. Can you imagine what it would do if several people got together with that same faith? While God can certainly give us the strength on His own to handle things, He knows our bodies are physically and mentally unable to handle everything on our own. Naturally, He is going to place people in our lives with the same faith, willing to give up their comforts to serve God when He calls them to follow the same direction. Sometimes, to get the right direction, we need prayer and fasting. “And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” - Matthew 17:20,21.

When Ezra and the people arrived in Jerusalem they expected to see at least a few of the Jews who managed to escape captivity worshiping, praising God, and giving them some hope that God was there. Instead, it was just the opposite, the moral and spiritual condition in Jerusalem was terrible and it grieved Ezra to the point that he fell on his knees, and began to pray for God to forgive them all. “And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God, And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens. Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day. And now for a little space grace hath been shewed from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.” - Ezra 9:5-8.

Revival, is spiritual awakening, no matter how strong our faith in God, and even when we serve God on a regular basis, we need a revival. Life can drown our spirit to the point that we just float on top, struggling to keep our head above the water. God knows life wears us down, we need Him daily to keep us afloat, but even daily can be a challenge, and all it takes is a little bit of depression or guilt to put us in bondage to our circumstances. That is where the strength of Jesus comes, He is our floating device, the one and only person who can keep us afloat when we have no strength to swim. He will lighten our eyes, give us hope and a new outlook on things, He is our revival. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” - Matthew 11:28-30. Praise God!

Today's Prayer: God, You know there have been times in my life when I sunk so deep in my past that I couldn't breathe anymore, but Your hand always pulled me back up. Thank You for loving me and not forsaking me, thank You for holding me up, even when I wanted to fall. Thank You for Your endless mercy and grace, it truly endures, and thank You for always being there for me, even when I wanted to give up. Lord, I need a revival, pour Your Spirit upon me and fill me with Your love, mercy, grace, peace, strength, and wisdom. Help me to get through this day, uplifted and encouraged, knowing that You are always with me, and have something great in store for me. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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Get Back Up

Date: Monday, May 18, 2015
Chapters: Ezra 4-6
Message Title: Get Back Up

Hello My Friend,

Sometimes it's not easy being a Christian, we face constant criticism, not only from the world, but fellow Christians as well, especially when we are trying to serve God. You can be sure that once you start serving God obstacles will come your way to try and stop you. The amazing thing is that everything is in God's hands and timing, once He sets you on that journey HI has you on, He will stop at nothing for you to complete it, you might even get hung up once in a while, but God never hangs up on you. “Lay not wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place: For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.” - Proverbs 24:15,16.

It's really exciting when you first dedicate Your life to Christ, an excitement and drive flows through your body, you are eager to serve God and see Him work in your life. When the call came to the Jews in Babylon to rebuild the temple, they were so eager to get there and get it done. It started of great, the foundation was laid, and them something happened. The natives there did not take too kindly to them rebuilding the one thing that they knew would cause a problem for them, God's house.

“Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building, And hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia. And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they unto him an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. And I commanded, and search hath been made, and it is found that this city of old time hath made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made therein. There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, which have ruled over all countries beyond the river; and toll, tribute, and custom, was paid unto them. Give ye now commandment to cause these men to cease, and that this city be not builded, until another commandment shall be given from me.” - Ezera 4:4-6,19-21.

You can be sure that once you start serving God, opposition will come to the point that it may even be stopped for a while. We all make goals and plans in life, yet very rarely do we end up doing what we had so much hope in doing. We cannot look at our not fulfilling the plans we have for our lives as failure, they are not, they are opportunities to bring us closer to God and know the actual plan He has for us. You know, one time in my life I saw myself in New Zealand leading people to Jesus, and after five years of hope and praying, God showed me why He did not want me to go there and what would have happened if I did. Disappointments and set backs are God's way of saying, “I have something much better for you.”, He knows what we need and desire, and if we trust Him, and get back to serving Him wholeheartedly, He will show us what He really desires for us. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” - Jeremiah 29:11-13.

For fourteen years the temple remained unfinished while the Jews attended to rebuilding the city. It took the prophets Haggai and Zechariah to remind them that they had not finished the temple and it was time to get back to work. This time God was with them and nothing would stop them. “Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, even unto them. Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem: and with them were the prophets of God helping them. At the same time came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shetharboznai, and their companions, and said thus unto them, Who hath commanded you to build this house, and to make up this wall? Be it known unto the king, that we went into the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is builded with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work goeth fast on, and prospereth in their hands.” - Ezra 5:1-3,8.

Fear, hindrances, and discouragement can put us to a stopping halt, that's where fellow Christians come in. Those who are a little stronger in their faith, who have been where you are, and are there to give you some encouragement and get you back up again. We need to be encouraged, it's our only hope that this life we are living will ever be worth staying in. “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” - Romans 15:1-4.

Now, after their pep talk, and a talk with the king, the work of the temple resumed, this time the work was backed up by God Himself. “Then Darius the king made a decree, and search was made in the house of the rolls, where the treasures were laid up in Babylon. In the first year of Cyrus the king the same Cyrus the king made a decree concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, Let the house be builded, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let the foundations thereof be strongly laid; the height thereof threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof threescore cubits; With three rows of great stones, and a row of new timber: and let the expenses be given out of the king's house: And also let the golden and silver vessels of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took forth out of the temple which is at Jerusalem, and brought unto Babylon, be restored, and brought again unto the temple which is at Jerusalem, every one to his place, and place them in the house of God. Now therefore, Tatnai, governor beyond the river, Shetharboznai, and your companions the Apharsachites, which are beyond the river, be ye far from thence: Let the work of this house of God alone; let the governor of the Jews and the elders of the Jews build this house of God in his place. And the God that hath caused his name to dwell there destroy all kings and people, that shall put to their hand to alter and to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusalem. I Darius have made a decree; let it be done with speed.” - Ezra 6:1,3-7,12.

When life sets us back from doing the things that even God wants us to do, we can't throw in the towel and give up, we have to keep going. God is with us, He really is and the times you think that He is no where to be found, that is when He is preparing us and making things ready for us. Sometimes, we are not in any position to do the things we plan to be doing, but with a little faith and trust in God, we get right back up and move forward. If we try to do everything in our own strength we will fail, but with God backing us up, there is nothing He will not do for us. “For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” - 2 Corinthians 12:8-10.

Today's Prayer: God, Sometimes that picture is so clear, but we cannot see it because we become clouded with discouragement, fear, or disappointments over the things we want. Lord, remove the clouds and open our eyes so we can see what You want for us. Lead us and guide us, give us strength to move forward and let us not let set back keep us from getting back up and going again. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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Volunteering For God

Date: Sunday, May 17, 2015
Chapters: Ezra 1-3
Message Title: Volunteering For God

Hello My Friend,

The Book of Ezra is the fifteenth book of the Old Testament/Bible and contains ten chapters. The author of the book is Ezra, and it was written to the Jews that were in Babylon. The purpose of the book was to record the Jews return from captivity after spending seventy years in Babylon. Their purpose was to rebuild Jerusalem and bring temple worship back to Israel. The timeline for these events are approximately 536 BC to 457 BC. What we are to learn from the book is the basic principles of returning to God is repentance and restoring our relationship with Him. “And at the evening sacrifice I arose up from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto the LORD my God,” - Ezra 9:5.

After seventy years in Babylon, God is ready for His people to return to Jerusalem to rebuild it, and the temple. With the help of Ezra, He encourages the exiles to leave all they have in Babylon to rebuild the temple in Jersualem. “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in Jerusalem. Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem.” - Ezra 1:1-5.

We have to stop and think about the conditions in which these volunteers were about to embark, remember, Jerusalem was in ruins, the temple was destroyed, and pretty much everything that resembled that God was gone. It wasn't going to be easy, but God would be with them if they were willing to accept the call and do it with all their heart. Jesus is still rebuilding His temple and one day He will return with all His volunteers, those who accepted and received Him as their Saviour, and there will be no need for rebuilding. “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.” - John 14:1-4.

An account was kept of the families that came up out of captivity, out of the hundreds of thousands of Jews only 42,360 remained with God and were willing to head back to Jerusalem. Most of the new generation of Judah had never been in Jerusalem and had no reason to leave Babylon except to rebuild the temple in the old, ruined city, about nine hundred miles away. “Now these are the children of the province that went up out of the captivity, of those which had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away unto Babylon, and came again unto Jerusalem and Judah, every one unto his city; And some of the chief of the fathers, when they came to the house of the LORD which is at Jerusalem, offered freely for the house of God to set it up in his place: They gave after their ability unto the treasure of the work threescore and one thousand drams of gold, and five thousand pound of silver, and one hundred priests' garments.” - Ezra 2:1,68,69.

Only a few were willing to endure the hazardous, long and difficult four-month journey on foot, amazingly not one complaint is recorded, the first ever. Of the billions of people who will be introduced to Jesus Christ, only a remnant will enter the kingdom of God. Those who truly want Christ to be Lord of their lives are willing to step out of their comfort zones, maybe even go into unfamiliar territory, and follow Him where ever He leads them. “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.” - Matthew 16:24,25.

Two years after the Jews return they began to rebuild the Temple, every willing heart came to do whatever they could to help. “Now in the second year of their coming unto the house of God at Jerusalem, in the second month, began Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the remnant of their brethren the priests and the Levites, and all they that were come out of the captivity unto Jerusalem; and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to set forward the work of the house of the LORD. Then stood Jeshua with his sons and his brethren, Kadmiel and his sons, the sons of Judah, together, to set forward the workmen in the house of God: the sons of Henadad, with their sons and their brethren the Levites. And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the LORD, after the ordinance of David king of Israel. And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.” - Ezra 3:8-11.

Of all the things we can do to volunteer, the most rewarding and heart warming is the work we do for God. Not only do you feel good about what you are doing, you also feel conviction, and a love that you have never felt before. Talk about an emotional roller coaster? And the work we do for God does not return void, even if we get persecuted, we will reap the benefits of giving our time to God and the work He calls us to do. “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” - Matthew 5:10-12.

Today's Prayer: God, What a blessing it is to be one of Your servants. I am saved and redeemed because I am only trusting in His death, burial, and resurrection so I do not have to end up in hell and the lake of fire. Thank You Jesus. While I can't do anything to get in Your Kingdom, except believe in You, I can be a testimony and a witness for You, and I can be willing to do the work You call me to do. Lord, lead me and guide me, let me behave in a way that others see You through me and accept You too, and give me the strength, wisdom, and power to do the work You call me to do. In Jesus' name. Amen.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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