THE CHRISTIAN WALK

THE OLD TESTAMENT CYCLE

2012-01-08T21:27:00.000-05:00

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads. Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors. They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the Lord their God. Standing on the stairs of the Levites were Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani and Kenani. They cried out with loud voices to the Lord their God. And the Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah—said: “Stand up and praise the Lord your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting.”

“Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.

“You are the Lord God, who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and named him Abraham. You found his heart faithful to you, and you made a covenant with him to give to his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites and Girgashites. You have kept your promise because you are righteous.

“You saw the suffering of our ancestors in Egypt; you heard their cry at the Red Sea. You sent signs and wonders against Pharaoh, against all his officials and all the people of his land, for you knew how arrogantly the Egyptians treated them. You made a name for yourself, which remains to this day. You divided the sea before them, so that they passed through it on dry ground, but you hurled their pursuers into the depths, like a stone into mighty waters. By day you led them with a pillar of cloud, and by night with a pillar of fire to give them light on the way they were to take.

“You came down on Mount Sinai; you spoke to them from heaven. You gave them regulations and laws that are just and right, and decrees and commands that are good. You made known to them your holy Sabbath and gave them commands, decrees and laws through your servant Moses. In their hunger you gave them bread from heaven and in their thirst you brought them water from the rock; you told them to go in and take possession of the land you had sworn with uplifted hand to give them.

“But they, our ancestors, became arrogant and stiff-necked, and they did not obey your commands. They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them, even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf and said, ‘This is your god, who brought you up out of Egypt,’ or when they committed awful blasphemies.

“Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the wilderness. By day the pillar of cloud did not fail to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take. You gave your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and you gave them water for their thirst. For forty years you sustained them in the wilderness; they lacked nothing, their clothes did not wear out nor did their feet become swollen.

“You gave them kingdoms and nations, allotting to them even the remotest frontiers. They took over the country of Sihon king of Heshbon and the country of Og king of Bashan. You made their children as numerous as the stars in the sky, and you brought them into the land that you told their parents to enter and possess. Their children went in and took possession of the land. You subdued before them the Canaanites, who lived in the land; you gave the Canaanites into their hands, along with their kings and the peoples of the land, to deal with them as they pleased. They captured fortified cities and fertile land; they took possession of houses filled with all kinds of good things, wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves and fruit trees in abundance. They ate to the full and were well-nourished; they reveled in your great goodness.

“But they were disobedient and rebelled against you; they turned their backs on your law. They killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you; they committed awful blasphemies. So you delivered them into the hands of their enemies, who oppressed them. But when they were oppressed they cried out to you. From heaven you heard them, and in your great compassion you gave them deliverers, who rescued them from the hand of their enemies.

“But as soon as they were at rest, they again did what was evil in your sight. Then you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies so that they ruled over them. And when they cried out to you again, you heard from heaven, and in your compassion you delivered them time after time.

“You warned them in order to turn them back to your law, but they became arrogant and disobeyed your commands. They sinned against your ordinances, of which you said, ‘The person who obeys them will live by them.’ Stubbornly they turned their backs on you, became stiff-necked and refused to listen. For many years you were patient with them. By your Spirit you warned them through your prophets. Yet they paid no attention, so you gave them into the hands of the neighboring peoples. But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.

“Now therefore, our God, the great God, mighty and awesome, who keeps his covenant of love, do not let all this hardship seem trifling in your eyes—the hardship that has come on us, on our kings and leaders, on our priests and prophets, on our ancestors and all your people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until today. In all that has happened to us, you have remained righteous; you have acted faithfully, while we acted wickedly. Our kings, our leaders, our priests and our ancestors did not follow your law; they did not pay attention to your commands or the statutes you warned them to keep. Even while they were in their kingdom, enjoying your great goodness to them in the spacious and fertile land you gave them, they did not serve you or turn from their evil ways.

“But see, we are slaves today, slaves in the land you gave our ancestors so they could eat its fruit and the other good things it produces. Because of our sins, its abundant harvest goes to the kings you have placed over us. They rule over our bodies and our cattle as they please. We are in great distress.

Nehemiah 9:1-37

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As we look at the Old Testament, we see a glimpse of why God had to come to earth and walk among us in the person of Jesus. It was obvious that the Israelites weren’t willing or able to break what I often refer to as the Old Testament cycle.

What is the cycle? We see it perfectly highlighted in the ninth chapter of Nehemiah. Let me explain.

Let’s set the scene first. The Israelites had just finished observing the Festival of Tabernacles (also known as the Festival of Booths) during the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar (Tishri). As Chapter 9 opens, we read where it was the “twenty-fourth day of the same month” when the “Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads”, the symbolic gesture of repentance in Old Testament times. “They stood in their places”, and “confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors” as they “read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the Lord their God.”

Also with the Israelites were the Levites who were “standing on the stairs.” They included “Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani and Kenani”. As the Israelites were crying out with “loud voices to the Lord their God”, the Levites were urging them to “Stand up and praise the Lord your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting.” The Levites then began to deliver a prayer of confession and praise. It’s within this prayer that we see the Old Testament cycle first hand.

Note how the people of Israel were in God’s favor as the prayer begins. After praising God for His power and provision, the people recall how God looked over Abraham after He “found (Abraham’s) heart faithful”, making a “covenant with him to give to his descendants the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites and Girgashites” and keeping His promise because of His righteousness.

God continued to watch over His chosen people as He “saw the suffering” of the Israelites being held captive in Egypt, hearing “their cry at the Red Sea” and sending “signs and wonders against Pharaoh and against all his officials and all the people of his land.” Ultimately, God flashed His mighty power to save by dividing the sea before the Israelites “so that they passed through it on dry ground” and then drowned “their pursuers into the depths, like a stone into mighty waters.” Indeed God was with His people, leading them by day via a “pillar of cloud” and by night through a “pillar of fire” lighting the path He wished His people to take.

That path took the Israelites to Mount Sinai where God “came down” and “spoke to them from heaven”, giving them “regulations and laws that (were) just and right, and decrees and commands that (were) good.” The Lord also “made known to them” about the “holy Sabbath” and “gave them commands, decrees and laws through…Moses.” He additionally “gave them bread from heaven” to satisfy their hunger and “brought them water from (a) rock to quench their thirst. Indeed, God was with them, leading them toward the land He told them to “go…and take possession of.”

Yes, all was going so well for the people of Israel and their relationship with God. Unfortunately, it didn’t stay that way.

For scripture tells us the people of Israel who God had treated so well, chose to become “arrogant and stiff-necked”, freely violating the Lord’s commands. The people “refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles” God had “performed among them.” The people deserved serious judgment for their rebellious behavior but God is a God of grace and mercy. The Levites reminded the Israelites that God was “forgiving…gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.”

Because of this, the Lord didn’t “desert (the Israelites) even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf and said, ‘This is your god, who brought you up out of Egypt,’ or when they committed awful blasphemies.” No, God didn’t “abandon them in the wilderness” but rather guided them along their way…”by day” through a “pillar of cloud”…”by night” through a “pillar of fire…to shine on the way they were to take.” God also ensured the Israelites had provision in the wilderness, giving manna to eat and “water for their thirst.” Even when the disobedient Israelites, disobeyed God and refused to cross over to Canaan the first time, the Lord still showed mercy, passing judgment which involved 40 years in the wilderness during which He “sustained them” ensuring “they lacked nothing.”

God blessed His chosen people further as the following words from our scriptures relay:

“You gave them kingdoms and nations, allotting to them even the remotest frontiers. They took over the country of Sihon king of Heshbon and the country of Og king of Bashan. You made their children as numerous as the stars in the sky, and you brought them into the land that you told their parents to enter and possess. Their children went in and took possession of the land. You subdued before them the Canaanites, who lived in the land; you gave the Canaanites into their hands, along with their kings and the peoples of the land, to deal with them as they pleased. They captured fortified cities and fertile land; they took possession of houses filled with all kinds of good things, wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves and fruit trees in abundance. They ate to the full and were well-nourished; they reveled in your great goodness.”

Despite all the wrongs that the Israelites had committed against God, He took care of them. How did they reward His faithful care?

By being unfaithful to Him.

We read where the people of Israel chose to be “disobedient and rebelled against” God, turning “their backs on (His) law” and killing His prophets who He had sent to warn the people and exhort them to turn back to God. Additionally, they “committed awful blasphemies.”

The consequence for the Israelites was God delivering them “into the hands of their enemies, who oppressed them.”

So what did Israel do? Once oppressed, “they cried out to” God and He again showed them compassion and sent deliverers to them who “rescued them from the hand of their enemies.”

Would the people finally learn to be obedient and not rebel against God’s will and commands?

No, because “as soon as they were at rest, they again did what was evil in (God’s) sight.”

Again, judgment came and God “abandoned (the Israelites) to the hand of their enemies so that they ruled over them.”

Are you seeing the cycle yet? Because once in trouble, the Israelites “cried out…again” and once again, God “heard from heaven” and, with compassion, delivered them again. Scripture is spot on when it states that this happened “time after time.” That’s the essence of a cycle. It happens over and over and over again.

After another restoration, we read where God warned the Israelites to turn back to His law only for the Israelites to respond with arrogance and disobedience, sinning against God’s ordinances and refusing to listen to Him.

How many times more times would the people of Israel disrespect their Lord and get away with it?

You would think God would have gotten fed up but instead He remained patient for many years and continued to warn His people through the prophets.

And the people repaid His patience with a continued obstinance and refusal to follow His word and way. Again, there was judgment as God “gave them into the hands of (their) neighboring peoples” but that was also coupled with continued mercy and graciousness as the Lord “did not put an end to them or abandon them.”

Indeed, as the Levites would go onto confess:

“In all that has happened to us, you have remained righteous; you have acted faithfully, while we acted wickedly. Our kings, our leaders, our priests and our ancestors did not follow your law; they did not pay attention to your commands or the statutes you warned them to keep. Even while they were in their kingdom, enjoying your great goodness to them in the spacious and fertile land you gave them, they did not serve you or turn from their evil ways.”

God gave Israel everything and they chose to disrespect Him in return. And they did it over and over and over again.

Do you see the Old Testament Cycle now?

It went like this in four steps:

1. The people of Israel would choose to disobey God’s commands and enter into sin.
2. God would warn His people through chosen messengers (i.e. prophets).
3. The people would ignore the warning and so God would pass judgment on them.
4. The people would cry out to God in the midst of their punishment and God would restore them.

And then they would return to number 1 and it would start all over again.

From the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt on, the people of Israel followed this pattern. It’s little wonder that God had to finally come to earth in the person of Jesus Christ to try and teach us first hand as to how to live a godly life. The people weren’t getting it when He simply tried to speak through chosen leaders.

So how do we measure up today? How much are we like those Old Testament Israelites?

Maybe more like them than we would like to confess.

For how many times have we chosen to disobey God’s commands and consciously enter into sin? And how many times have we felt convicted through a written or spoken word of God or urged by the Holy Spirit to change direction, only to choose to not abandon our sin? And how many times did we end up finding ourselves in trouble as a result of our poor choice to select sin over obedience to God, getting to a point where we found ourselves crying out to Him for help? And how many times has He answered our cries by delivering us from our problem, only to be repaid by us returning later to a stubborn disobedience and sin toward His will and way?

Friends, we can learn a lot from this passage and through the study of the Israelites. As an old saying goes, if we don’t learn from the mistakes of the past, we’re doomed to repeat them. As we proceed into a new year, let’s do so with a renewed commitment to obedience, following the first hand example of God who walked with us as Jesus Christ. We’re blessed with the Gospels so we can recount how He lived so we can do likewise.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com

GETTING BACK TO THE BASICS

2012-01-05T07:48:00.000-05:00

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

On the second day of the month, the heads of all the families, along with the priests and the Levites, gathered around Ezra the teacher to give attention to the words of the Law. They found written in the Law, which the Lord had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in temporary shelters during the festival of the seventh month and that they should proclaim this word and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem: “Go out into the hill country and bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees, and from myrtles, palms and shade trees, to make temporary shelters”—as it is written.

So the people went out and brought back branches and built themselves temporary shelters on their own roofs, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God and in the square by the Water Gate and the one by the Gate of Ephraim. The whole company that had returned from exile built temporary shelters and lived in them. From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated it like this. And their joy was very great.

Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God. They celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day, in accordance with the regulation, there was an assembly.

Ezra 8:13-18

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

The Israelites getting reestablished in Jerusalem was more than just a physical, tangible return. Yes, the temple needed rebuilt as well as the walls, gates and homes within the city but there was a need for something even greater…a need for spiritual rebirth as well and this often begins with a return to the basics. We see this evident in the lives of the Jerusalem Israelites as Nehemiah Chapter 8 comes to a close.

You’ll recall that Chapter 8 opens with the people asking for Ezra, identified as not only a teacher of the Law of Moses but a priest in the scriptures, to read to them from the Book of the Law of Moses (Nehemiah 8:1). This book contained what we know as the Pentateuch or the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy). The people displayed great reverence when receiving the word, bowing before God in worship with their faces to the ground (v6). They also expressed a great deal of emotion, weeping as they listened to the word of the Law (v9).

In the midst of the sorrow, Nehemiah urged the Israelites to “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (v10). And the people did just that as they went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy…all because they understood the words that had been made known to them through the readings and teachings of Ezra and the Levites (v12).

As we read through the rest of the chapter, we find the Israelites getting back to basics and observing special festivals as directed by God’s word. In the case of the Jerusalem Israelites, they observed what was referred to as the Feast (or Festival) of Tabernacles (sometimes also called The Feast or Festival of Booths. The following scripture from Leviticus, highlights what was required under the Book of Law:

The Lord said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites: ‘On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the Lord’s Festival of Tabernacles begins, and it lasts for seven days. The first day is a sacred assembly; do no regular work. For seven days present food offerings to the Lord, and on the eighth day hold a sacred assembly and present a food offering to the Lord. It is the closing special assembly; do no regular work.

(“‘These are the Lord’s appointed festivals, which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies for bringing food offerings to the Lord—the burnt offerings and grain offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings required for each day. These offerings are in addition to those for the Lord’s Sabbaths and in addition to your gifts and whatever you have vowed and all the freewill offerings you give to the Lord.)

“‘So beginning with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, after you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the Lord for seven days; the first day is a day of sabbath rest, and the eighth day also is a day of sabbath rest. On the first day you are to take branches from luxuriant trees—from palms, willows and other leafy trees—and rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. Celebrate this as a festival to the Lord for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. Live in temporary shelters for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in such shelters so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in temporary shelters when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’” Leviticus 23:33-43

Returning to their worship roots meant returning to the ways that the Israelite’s ancestors worshiped…and that was in accordance with God’s requirements. And that’s exactly what happened after “Ezra the teacher” continued to read the “words of the law” to “the heads of all the families, along with the priests and the Levites” on the “second day of the month.”

Through their study, they “found written in the Law, which the Lord had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in temporary shelters during the festival of the seventh month and that they should proclaim this word and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem.” It was written that they were to “Go out into the hill country and bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees, and from myrtles, palms and shade trees, to make temporary shelters”…a requirement for the festival that commemorated God’s protection for the Israelites as they wandered in the desert for forty years following deliverance from the Egyptian captivity.

Showing a willingness to obey the scriptures, we read where “the whole company that had returned from exile” went out and “brought back branches and built themselves temporary shelters on their own roofs, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God and in the square by the Water Gate and the one by the Gate of Ephraim.” How significant was this event and the way it was carried out? Our passage tells us that the festival had not been celebrated like this, with the Israelites building temporary shelters and living in them, since “the days of Joshua”…which refers back to when the people of Israel first entered into the Promised Land.

As the chapter closes, we read where the Israelites “celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day, in accordance with the regulation, there was an assembly.” It’s also important to note that during the festival, the people of Israel experienced great joy. We can do likewise when we worship properly and within the expectations of God.

The Israelites found their way back to strong worship when they returned to the basics. Maybe you have found your spiritual life waning and in need of revival. You can start your way back to renewal today by shifting your focus back on the Lord in your life. The following words from the contemporary Christian trio, Phillips, Craig and Dean, echo this ideal:

I’m coming back to the heart of worship
And it’s all about You
It’s all about You, Jesus

I’m sorry, Lord for the thing I’ve made it
And it’s all about You
It’s all about You, Jesus

Maybe you need to come back to the heart of worship. Get back to the basics and make your life all about Jesus, worshiping Him fully in spirit and in truth, and you can find yourself there today.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com

THE HEART OF WORSHIP

2012-01-03T13:44:00.000-05:00

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.

In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, all the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel.

So on the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.

Ezra the teacher of the Law stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion. Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; and on his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam.

Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.

Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to them all, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people had been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.

Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

The Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for this is a holy day. Do not grieve.”

Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.

Ezra 7:73b, 8:1-12

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

What does the true spirit of worship look like? I believe we get a glimpse of this as we look at Nehemiah, Chapter 8.

The chapter begins in Tisri, the seventh month on the Hebrew calendar. We read where the “Israelites had settled in their towns” before gathering “together as one in the square before the Water Gate.”

Why did they gather? The congregation of Israelites wished to hear the word of God.

As we gather together in church on Sundays with our brothers and sisters who came from where they have settled in, do we come together with the same sense of anticipation…eager to hear the word of God?

I think you’ll agree that we should be. For an excitement to experience God’s word is one of the essential components at the heart of worship.

There was no better one to deliver the word of God, and in particular God’s law, than Ezra, who you’ll remember returned from exile in Babylon to do just that…teach God’s law to the Israelites. And so we read where the gathered worshippers (which included “men and women and all who were able to understand”) asked for “Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel.” Ezra did as they requested and while standing on a “high wooden platform built for the occasion”, he “brought the Law before the assembly”, reading it “from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence (of)…all the people (who) listened attentively to the Book of the Law.”

How long have you spent in worship on any one Sunday? I doubt that many of us stood from the break of day through noon, listening attentively to God’s word as the gathered Israelites did. Hopefully, if the opportunity presented itself we would do as they did, our deep hunger for God’s word transcending any other demands we might have on a day of worship.

For we are not only expected by God to be excited and eager to hear His word but we should be willing to spend as much time as possible in learning from it, longing to be fed by His wisdom and guidance more than anything else the world might present as an alternative. A heart for worship is just that…worship where the heart is fully invested, no matter how long that worship might be. We definitely see this portrayed in the actions of the people of Israel.

So how did the people respond to Ezra’s teaching? Our scriptures tell us that as Ezra “opened the book” of the Law of Moses, the people “all stood up” which led to Ezra, the worship leader, to praise “the Lord, the great God”. In response to Ezra’s praise, “all the people lifted their hands and responded, ‘Amen! Amen!’” before bowing down and worshiping “the Lord with their faces to the ground.”

Do you sense the atmosphere of complete reverence for God in the Israelite’s Jerusalem worship?

As the book of the Law of Moses was opened, the people stood in respect to receive God’s Holy Word. Ezra, the worship leader, displayed praise unto the Giver of the holy Word he was about to read. And the people, in a display of full humbleness before the God of all, bowed down to worship the Lord with their faces to the ground.

We typically don’t see this sense of worship in our churches today, I’m afraid. We too often sit in the pews almost like we sit at home before the television. And unfortunately, maybe we’re more invested in the television than we are in receiving the holy Word of God in worship. Jesus said in Matthew 6:21, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” It’s obvious that the heart of Israel was fully invested in worshiping the God who had provided so much for them. He was their treasure and so it was easy to bow before Him in humble and dedicated worship. The heart of worship for them began with their own hearts turned to God in humble submission. God still expects us to do so today.

Ezra wasn’t the only teacher on the first day of the seventh month. For we read where the people were also taught by “the Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah” who “read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.”

God lifted up teachers to explain the Word of God to others. He did so in the days of Nehemiah and He still does so today. I feel blessed to have answered that calling from God for nearly 20 years now. To understand the Lord and His expectations for us in life, we need His Word but we also need those He has blessed with the gift of interpretation and instruction. Another element at the heart of worship is an understanding of God’s Word and how it applies to the way we live as we seek to carry out God’s will.

Well, after receiving the instruction from the Word of God, scripture tells us that many of the people of Israel became emotional, mourning and weeping. Perhaps the tears were brought on by conviction, a sorrow from knowing that they had not kept God’s law and had allowed sin to creep into their lives. Maybe the tears were tears of joy as the people reflected on what God has done for them and their ancestors.

Either way, we see where “Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law, and the Levites who were instructing” urged the people to not be in remorse saying, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” Instead, Nehemiah exhorted the people to “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” And with that, “all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions of food and to celebrate with great joy, because they now understood the words that had been made known to them.”

When we come to worship, with an excitement and dedication toward receiving the teaching from the Word of God, we can expect that in the midst of our worship and our coming to understanding, we will often sense remorse from conviction or tears of happiness as we are reminded of how good the Lord has been to us and others. But as we experience these emotions, we should leave worship with a culminating sense of joy…because as Nehemiah shared with the people of Israel, “the joy of the Lord is (our) strength.” No matter what we go through in or outside of worship, we should always remember this…that the joy of the Lord is always our strength.

After all, that’s why we worship the Lord isn’t it? We do so out of the pure joy of knowing Him, of serving Him, of being blessed by Him.

Do you live your life each day in the truest heart of worship for God…a worship that is based on a deep, heartfelt joy for the Lord and all He is to you?

If so, then you are already living with a heart that is centered on the heart of worship.

If not, why not truly let the joy of the Lord be your strength? For in the midst of life’s circumstances, we can only live in the spirit of rejoicing by way of the Lord’s strength…a strength by which we can do all things (Philippians 4:13).

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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LISTENING TO WHAT GOD PUTS IN YOUR HEART

2012-01-02T21:18:00.002-05:00

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Also, in those days the nobles of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah, and replies from Tobiah kept coming to them. For many in Judah were under oath to him, since he was son-in-law to Shekaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah. Moreover, they kept reporting to me his good deeds and then telling him what I said. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.

After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers, the musicians and the Levites were appointed. I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most people do. I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot. While the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut the doors and bar them. Also appoint residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some near their own houses.”

Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt. So my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families. I found the genealogical record of those who had been the first to return. This is what I found written there:

These are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town, in company with Zerubbabel, Joshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum and Baanah):

The list of the men of Israel:

the descendants of Parosh 2,172, of Shephatiah 372, of Arah 652, of Pahath-Moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab) 2,818, of Elam 1,254, of Zattu 845, of Zakkai 760, of Binnui 648, of Bebai 628, of Azgad 2,322, of Adonikam 667, of Bigvai 2,067, of Adin 655, of Ater (through Hezekiah) 98, of Hashum 328, of Bezai 324, of Hariph 112, of Gibeon 95, the men of Bethlehem and Netophah 188, of Anathoth 128, of Beth Azmaveth 42, of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah and Beeroth 743, of Ramah and Geba 621, of Mikmash 122, of Bethel and Ai 123, of the other Nebo 52, of the other Elam 1,254, of Harim 320, of Jericho 345, of Lod, Hadid and Ono 721, of Senaah 3,930

The priests: the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family of Jeshua) 973, of Immer 1,052, of Pashhur 1,247, of Harim 1,017

The Levites: the descendants of Jeshua (through Kadmiel through the line of Hodaviah) 74

The musicians: the descendants of Asaph 148

The gatekeepers: the descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita and Shobai 138

The temple servants: the descendants of Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth, Keros, Sia, Padon, Lebana, Hagaba, Shalmai, Hanan, Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah, Besai, Meunim, Nephusim, Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha, Barkos, Sisera, Temah, Neziah and Hatipha

The descendants of the servants of Solomon: the descendants of Sotai, Sophereth, Perida, Jaala, Darkon, Giddel, Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth-Hazzebaim and Amon

The temple servants and the descendants of the servants of Solomon 392

The following came up from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon and Immer, but they could not show that their families were descended from Israel: the descendants of Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda 642

And from among the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai (a man who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that name).

These searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. The governor, therefore, ordered them not to eat any of the most sacred food until there should be a priest ministering with the Urim and Thummim.

The whole company numbered 42,360, besides their 7,337 male and female slaves; and they also had 245 male and female singers. There were 736 horses, 245 mules, 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.

Some of the heads of the families contributed to the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 darics of gold, 50 bowls and 530 garments for priests. Some of the heads of the families gave to the treasury for the work 20,000 darics of gold and 2,200 minas of silver. The total given by the rest of the people was 20,000 darics of gold, 2,000 minas of silver and 67 garments for priests.

The priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the musicians and the temple servants, along with certain of the people and the rest of the Israelites, settled in their own towns.

Nehemiah 6:17-19, 7:1-73a

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In his heart to select men of integrity

In his heart to account for the people of Jerusalem.

As Chapter 6 closes, Nehemiah’s faithful attachment to God and His provision and protection bore fruit. For the enemies of Israel surrounding Jerusalem found themselves afraid and out of confidence after they realized the labors of the Israelites invested in rebuilding the walls and gates protecting the holy city were “done with the help of God.” (v16). And although Tobiah continued to try and intimidate Nehemiah through the letters he sent back and forth to Judah’s nobles, they had no impact on Nehemiah’s leadership.

As Chapter 7 opens, we read where the “wall had been rebuilt” around Jerusalem and the doors had been set in place. Additionally, Nehemiah had appointed the “gatekeepers,…musicians and…Levites.

He also made one major assignment, placing his brother Hanani “in charge of Jerusalem” along with “Hananiah the commander of the citadel.” Scripture tells us that Hanani wasn’t selected because he was a family member of Nehemiah but rather “because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most people do.” To the leadership and people of Jerusalem, Nehemiah, the governor of Judah (see 5:14), issued the following orders:

“The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot. While the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut the doors and bar them. Also appoint residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some near their own houses.”

Now fortified by the newly rebuilt walls and gates, scripture tells us Jerusalem was “large and spacious” with “few people in it” mostly because “the houses had not yet been rebuilt.” We get a sense that Nehemiah didn’t have a good account of how many Israelites he had back in the holy city because we read where God put “it into (Nehemiah’s) heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families.” The remainder of Chapter 7 details the accounting and the “genealogical record of those who had been the first to return”, a document found by Nehemiah.

We could get bogged down in the numbers and names of who was in Jerusalem but I think God is speaking to us in this passage about the importance of listening for His guidance and then acting on it when we receive it. We can learn a lot from Nehemiah regarding what God expects from us as we seek to serve Him daily.

God had placed it on Nehemiah’s heart to perform a registration of families and Nehemiah responded in obedience, doing exactly what God wanted. We have to think that it was God who led Nehemiah to appoint his brother as the leader of Jerusalem, a man of integrity (an extremely important trait for any leader in God’s eyes) and a man who feared God. What better man to lead God’s holy city than a man who respected and revered the One who deemed the city holy.

Yes, God had placed many things in Nehemiah’s heart and Nehemiah’s obedience had led the people of Israel out of the ashes of ruin and into a holy renaissance.

As we enter into the new year, we can all expect that God is ready to place many things in our hearts as well as He seeks to guide and lead us toward His will for us. How will we respond to what He places on our hearts? Will we, like Nehemiah, react in full obedience and then watch as the rewards of that obedience are played out on God’s grand stage of life? Or will we place our own selfish desires ahead of God’s, doing what we want to do and ignoring His call?

Ask yourself what God would want us to do. I believe you will find every time that He wants us to listen to what He puts in our heart. Let’s commit to do just that in the days and years ahead.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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WHAT CAN BE NEW IN THE NEW YEAR?

2012-01-01T09:06:00.000-05:00

OK…the clock has struck midnight…the ball has dropped in Times Square…the chorus of “Happy New Year” chants have been sounded…the noise makers have been blown…the bubbly (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) has been tasted. And as we awake to the dawn of the first day of this year, we are left with many questions, one of which being…”What can be new in this new year?”

We may have thought about this already. Many people do, you know. They see the new year as a chance to get a fresh start…to manage their money better and get out of debt…to lose weight and take better care of their bodies…to do strive to make a difference in some way. Yes…many resolutions will be made…and many resolutions will go by the way side before the first month of the new year is over. For as much as resolutions are a part of New Year’s holiday tradition, failing to meet those resolutions are just as much a part of the tradition once the year begins.

Don’t we yearn for resolutions that will stick…resolutions that will persevere and carry us day after day after day to a place where we feel better about ourselves, our purpose and the world we live in. What would you say if I told you that God has a plan for us to be new in the new year and remain new throughout? Would you be interested?

If so, here is God’s word for you for the new year…a word that will focus on what can be new for you if you’re just willing to open your heart and mind to His Spirit and wisdom.

1. You will first need a new heart and spirit.

Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Ezekiel 18:31

If you’re truly going to start out the new year fresh and ready for renewal, you first need to leave the past behind. Last year is gone and although you may be dealing with matters that carried over, those are ongoing issues that God will help you with in the new year, possibly in new ways.

What you don’t need to carry over is guilt, worry, anxiety, or stress from what happened before. If you’ve done wrong, genuinely repent and accept God’s forgiveness for you. Confess your wrongs and then turn away from them with a new heart and new Spirit…a new heart and new Spirit that can only come from the Lord...a new heart and a new Spirit that places the Lord and His will first in everything…a new heart and Spirit that is committed to serve the Lord full time, just as He serves us.

Friends, you’ll never get off of this first point unless you move forward with a new heart and new Spirit. Everything else comes as a result of it.

So pray this prayer with me right now:

Lord Jesus, I am leaving everything in my past behind right now…all my hurt, all my pain, all my sins I have committed. I am leaving them behind so I can be free to run into Your arms, for I long for the love, wisdom and safety that only You can bring. I turn all that I am over to you and lay all my present burdens at Your feet, asking you into my heart and praying you will make it new. And as I open my heart wide for You to enter in, I also ask that you fill me with Your Holy Spirit…fill me to overflow Lord so that all I am is what You are. For I yearn to be new in this new year Lord Jesus and surrender my life so You can make it so. For it’s in Your Holy and Precious Name I pray. Amen.

2. You need to fully embrace His new mercies.

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

When we fully surrender our heart to Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior, something amazing happens. For not only are we new but we see everything through His eyes, including a deeper appreciation for who He was and what He did for us.

As we do this, we are fully sensitized to the fact God could have wiped all of us off the face of creation because of our sinfulness, but instead He decided to give His only Son as a living sacrifice for us all. Why? Because of His great love for us. In our place, He instead gave up His His perfect, unblemished Lamb…His Son Jesus…who was nailed to the cross where we all should have been…and His shed blood became the sin atonement for us all.

So our waking every day…with our new heart and new Spirit…should bring us into a daily routine of thanksgiving and praise…thanksgiving and praise because God has once again blessed us with another opportunity to experience the awesome wonder of life…life we don’t deserve and yet we are granted...all because of the price paid by Jesus on the cross.

But how have we done in showing God how grateful we are for the great sacrifice He made for us…a sacrifice that cost Him His Son? Frankly, we haven’t done too well because given a choice between righteousness and sinfulness, too often we have chosen the latter…and I often wonder how God feels when we do. Sad? Angry? I would say both. And since He has infinite power, he certainly could choose to vent His wrath on us. But He doesn’t. Why? Because He loves us as a parent loves a child…only He is the perfect Parent…our Heavenly Father. And so, although we frustrate Him, He still loves us…and His compassions never fail. They are truly new every morning as we awake and breathe in His grace…a grace that is amazing…a grace that brings us into each new day.

Indeed, great is God’s faithfulness. Great is His mercy, grace and love. And with a new heart and new Spirit, we’re ready to fully appreciate both each and every day we’re given, embracing His mercies and moving forward in an attitude of service and thanks to Jesus…an attitude reflected in the chorus of this classic hymn:

Jesus paid it all
All to Him I owe
Sin hath left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow

3. You can sing a new song.

He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Psalm 40:3

Something exciting happens when we surrender ourselves and get a new heart and Spirit from the Lord…a new heart and Spirit that allows us to fully appreciate the sacrifices that were made for us and the mercies we receive every day.

We want to tell others about it.

And they’ll be asking because if you truly surrender yourself to the Lord, you will be different. Everything about you will change and it will be most evident in your life attitude. For you will see everything in a confident and positive way…emboldened by a faith and trust in the Lord who through which all things are possible. The Lord will put a new song in your mouth and those words when sung out will comprise a hymn of praise to Him…a hymn of praise that will touch everyone around you. And lest you think, “…but I’m definitely not a singer” understand that God’s word here is not only telling us that the Lord places new music in our mouths but new words as well…as in singing the praises of someone.

When someone does something great, don’t you want to tell others about it?

Well, who does greater things for us every day than the Lord?

And if we truly have a new heart and Spirit…if we truly have allowed ourselves to fully appreciate the sacrifice that Jesus made and the mercies that come to us every morning as a result of God’s love…then we will want to do nothing but sing the praises of our Lord to everyone we see…and those songs of praise will come because the Lord has placed them in our mouths.

4. We can be born or reborn into a living hope.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy, He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 3:3-5

As we accept a new heart and new Spirit from the Lord…as we then realize and revere the great cost paid by Jesus for us on the cross and how this came as a result of the Father’s mercy, grace and love which we experience new every morning…and as we then go forth to sing the Lord’s praises to all we see, we find ourselves born or reborn into a living hope…a living hope through Christ Jesus that keeps us buoyed up in joy and peace…free from anything that would encumber us and fully ready to go forth and carry out God’s will for us each day.

In this birth or rebirth, we also realize how richly blessed we are. For we discover that through Jesus’ resurrection, we have gained a chance to also join Him in an everlasting life when this earthly life ends. In other words, through Jesus Christ death is not the end but just the awesome, miraculous beginning of a life free from everything that afflicts us in the here and now…an eternal inheritance that no one or nothing can take from us after we receive it because it is kept in heaven for us…a gift, the greatest gift ever, yet to be received.

Friends, the new year will only be business as usual if we choose for it to be that way. I don’t know about you but I would rather have exciting over boring…exhilarating over dull…fresh over routine. The good news is that through the Lord, we can have everything new this year…and it starts with that first step.

Are you ready to receive a new heart and new Spirit today and begin a walk with Christ that will last forever?

He’s patiently waiting to receive you in love and make all things new.

EXPOSING THE DARK

2011-12-31T12:28:00.000-05:00

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it—though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates—Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.”

But they were scheming to harm me; so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.
Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter in which was written:

“It is reported among the nations—and Geshem says it is true—that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports you are about to become their king and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem: ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now this report will get back to the king; so come, let us meet together.”

I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.”

They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.”

But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.”

One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home. He said, “Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you—by night they are coming to kill you.”

But I said, “Should a man like me run away? Or should someone like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!” I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me.

Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophet Noadiah and how she and the rest of the prophets have been trying to intimidate me. So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.

When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.

Nehemiah 6:1-16

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings utter darkness into the light. Job 12:22

He reveals deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him. Daniel 2:22

He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. 1 Corinthians 4:5

People can be downright evil sometimes and not always in an obvious fashion. No, some of the most wicked things that are carried out are carefully schemed and executed. But no matter the level of meticulousness applied to planning malicious deeds, nothing is hidden from the eyes of God, the One who exposes darkness because He is the Light of the world.

We see this truth played out in Nehemiah, Chapter 6, as Nehemiah’s adversaries persist in trying to undermine his efforts to rebuild the walls and gates of Jerusalem. We read in our passage where word had traveled to “Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of (Israel’s) enemies” that Jerusalem’s wall had been rebuilt with “not a gap…left in it.”

Having seen their previous attempts to thwart the Israelite effort, Sanballat and Geshem schemed to harm Nehemiah, sending a request that they all “meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.” But Nehemiah was onto them. God was not going to allow dark deceit to triumph over any of His plans to rebuild and protect His holy city and His people abiding within.

And so, Nehemiah sent a message to his enemies saying, “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” His opponents refused to give up, sending the same message four more times. In each instance, Nehemiah “gave them the same answer.” Sanballat sent his aide for a fifth time “with the same message” but this time there was an additional “unsealed letter” delivered which said the following:

“It is reported among the nations—and Geshem says it is true—that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports you are about to become their king and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem: ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now this report will get back to the king; so come, let us meet together.”

Have you seen this happen to you in the past? Someone chooses to oppose you and will go to no end to slander you, even if it means they need to craft a lie and spread it around. In the case of Sanballat and Nehemiah’s enemies, they chose to suggest Nehemiah was only rebuilding the walls and gates for his own political gain. After Jerusalem was again secured, then Nehemiah would declare himself king of Judah and revolt against King Artaxerxes, the very king who allowed him to go to Jerusalem in the first place. Sanballat hoped that threatening to propagate the lie to Babylon would frighten Nehemiah and the Israelites to stop their work toward rebuilding Jerusalem.

His hopes were dashed when Nehemiah responded to the letter by saying, “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.” Then Nehemiah turned to God and prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.”

As we face opposition in our lives, especially those who would scheme against us, we should follow Nehemiah’s example and pray for strength…strength to persevere and endure…strength to remain faithful in God’s ability to frustrate the efforts of those coming against us. God will deliver all the strength we need to make it through our circumstances. We need only turn to Him in trust.

Yes, Nehemiah needed God’s strength because his enemies were not done yet. For as we continue our study of Chapter 6, we see where they even try to get to Nehemiah from inside his ranks.

For we read where Nehemiah visited the “house of Shemaiah…who was shut in at his home.” Shemaiah, thought to be a priest, made a proposition to Nehemiah suggesting that the two of them “meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and…close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you—by night they are coming to kill you.” This request was insidious on a couple of levels.

First, Shemaiah was suggesting that Nehemiah should hide from his predicted attackers in the temple…the “house of God”. This would have been viewed as cowardly at best but it wouldn’t have been the worse result. For Nehemiah was just a layman and thus not permitted by God’s lay to enter the house of God. Operating in the dark, Shemaiah was trying to lure Nehemiah out of the light of God and into sinful action by using the threat of attack. But God and Nehemiah would have none of it.

Back to the scriptures where Nehemiah replies to Shemaiah saying, “Should a man like me run away? Or should someone like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!”

Nehemiah had “realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.” Shemaiah had been “hired to intimidate” Nehemiah so that he would “commit a sin” and become discredited. If God had sent Shemaiah, then the proposition would have not suggested sinful actions. Nehemiah recognized this and saw Shemaiah for what he was…a false prophet.

And so the plot was again hindered and the work continued, reaching completion “on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.” The news of this achievement unsettled the enemies of Israel who “realized that (the) work had been done with the help of…God”…the God who had taken all of their dark schemes and brought them into the light. This realization left the enemies afraid and void of self-confidence for they in no way could ever find victory over any people who had God with them.

Friends, our enemies will end up the same as the enemies of Israel eventually…frustrated by how their dark deeds fail to find success when brought against someone with God on their side. For God will always expose anything done in the dark, casting His glorious light upon anything evil. He did in the days of Nehemiah…and He is still doing so today.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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BEING ACCOUNTABLE

2011-12-30T21:53:00.002-05:00

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.

In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their fellow Jews. Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain.”

Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine.”

Still others were saying, “We have had to borrow money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our fellow Jews and though our children are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others.”

When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, “You are charging your own people interest!” So I called together a large meeting to deal with them and said: “As far as possible, we have bought back our fellow Jews who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your own people, only for them to be sold back to us!” They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say.

So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let us stop charging interest! Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the interest you are charging them—one percent of the money, grain, new wine and olive oil.”

“We will give it back,” they said. “And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.”

Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised. I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, “In this way may God shake out of their house and possessions anyone who does not keep this promise. So may such a person be shaken out and emptied!”

At this the whole assembly said, “Amen,” and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.

Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year—twelve years—neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor. But the earlier governors—those preceding me—placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God I did not act like that. Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we did not acquire any land.

Furthermore, a hundred and fifty Jews and officials ate at my table, as well as those who came to us from the surrounding nations. Each day one ox, six choice sheep and some poultry were prepared for me, and every ten days an abundant supply of wine of all kinds. In spite of all this, I never demanded the food allotted to the governor, because the demands were heavy on these people.

Remember me with favor, my God, for all I have done for these people.

Nehemiah 5

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As the Israelites set out to rebuild the gates and walls around Jerusalem, there were no shortage of enemies in the surrounding areas that caused concern and unrest among the people. But as Nehemiah Chapter 5 opens we find there are internal problems in Jerusalem as well.

For “men and their wives raised a great outcry against their fellow Jews” with “some…saying, ‘We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain.’ Still “others were saying, ‘We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine” and “We have had to borrow money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our fellow Jews and though our children are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others.”

Issues within the Jerusalem social structure were placing a strain on an already stressed community.

This brought great distress to Nehemiah who was angered “when (he) heard (the) outcry and…charges.” After pondering them in his mind, Nehemiah “accused the nobles and officials” saying, “You are charging your own people interest!” And so Nehemiah “called…a large meeting to deal with” the accused. At the meeting, he started by scolding the nobles and officials saying, “As far as possible, we have bought back our fellow Jews who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your own people, only for them to be sold back to us!” Indeed, the people of Israel had left one bondage in Babylon to enter another at the hands of their own in Jerusalem.

We know Nehemiah was striking the right chords in his accusations because we read where the nobles and officials “kept quiet” during his accusations “because they could find nothing to say.”

Nehemiah wasn’t done with his verbal attack because he continued saying, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let us stop charging interest! Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the interest you are charging them—one percent of the money, grain, new wine and olive oil.”

The latter diatribe hit right at the heart of the matter at hand. For it wasn’t bad enough that the Israelite leaders were doing this to their fellow Jews but they were doing it in the presence of God in His holy city and against His chosen people. Nehemiah was not only holding the nobles and officials accountable to him and the other Jews but he was also reminding them of their accountability before God, a God who we should be fearful before knowing of His judgment which could fall upon us when we decide to violate His commandments.

The accountability approach worked because the nobles and officials all said, “We will give it back…and we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.” To seal the deal, we read where Nehemiah “summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised” after which he “shook out the folds of (his) robe and said, ‘In this way may God shake out of their house and possessions anyone who does not keep this promise. So may such a person be shaken out and emptied!’ ” And the “whole assembly” responded by saying, “Amen,” and then “praised the Lord” before the people went forward and “did as they had promised.”

This passage underscores the importance of God’s people holding one another accountable. No believer is perfect and we all have our flaws. Satan has a way of getting us to behave in ways that are contrary to God’s word whether we’re talking about the things we do alone or the things we do in the midst of others. Born into sin, we are all afflicted and prone to fail. When that happens, it’s critical to have a brother or sister to lovingly point out our errors and help guide us back to the behavior God expects and demands. In Nehemiah, we see this in perfect action as he calls out the nobles and officials for the sinful way they were violating their fellow Jews.

Back to our scriptures where we find Nehemiah “appointed to be…governor in the land of Judah” in “the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes”. What did Nehemiah do in leadership? He practiced what he had preached to the nobles and officials prior and did not take from the people as his predecessors did. We read where Nehemiah wouldn’t eat “food allotted to the governor” and refused to place a “heavy burden on the people” by taking “forty shekels of silver from them in addition to food and wine.” These actions had been performed by the “earlier governors” who had preceded Nehemiah.

No, Nehemiah refused to do any of these things. He practiced what he preached. There was no room for double standards with Nehemiah. And he didn’t adopt this attitude through his own inclination but rather “out of reverence for God.”

That’s really where the rubber meets the road…for Nehemiah and for all of God’s people, you and I included. We should be always acting in a way that shows our reverence for God. Or in other words, we should be always acting in a way that glorifies God. God will hold us accountable for that and we should check one another to ensure we’re walking the right path when it comes to living in a way that pleases God.

When we do this, then hopefully we can turn to God like Nehemiah and ask Him to remember us with favor for the way we have treated others and glorified Him in the process.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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DON'T BE AFRAID

2011-12-30T00:09:00.000-05:00

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.

In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and set its doors in place, building as far as the Tower of the Hundred, which they dedicated, and as far as the Tower of Hananel. The men of Jericho built the adjoining section, and Zakkur son of Imri built next to them.

The Fish Gate was rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah. They laid its beams and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired the next section. Next to him Meshullam son of Berekiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs, and next to him Zadok son of Baana also made repairs. The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors.

The Jeshanah Gate was repaired by Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah. They laid its beams and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place. Next to them, repairs were made by men from Gibeon and Mizpah—Melatiah of Gibeon and Jadon of Meronoth—places under the authority of the governor of Trans-Euphrates. Uzziel son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired the next section; and Hananiah, one of the perfume-makers, made repairs next to that. They restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall. Rephaiah son of Hur, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section. Adjoining this, Jedaiah son of Harumaph made repairs opposite his house, and Hattush son of Hashabneiah made repairs next to him. Malkijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-Moab repaired another section and the Tower of the Ovens. Shallum son of Hallohesh, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section with the help of his daughters.

The Valley Gate was repaired by Hanun and the residents of Zanoah. They rebuilt it and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place. They also repaired a thousand cubits of the wall as far as the Dung Gate.

The Dung Gate was repaired by Malkijah son of Rekab, ruler of the district of Beth Hakkerem. He rebuilt it and put its doors with their bolts and bars in place.

The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallun son of Kol-Hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah. He rebuilt it, roofing it over and putting its doors and bolts and bars in place. He also repaired the wall of the Pool of Siloam, by the King’s Garden, as far as the steps going down from the City of David. Beyond him, Nehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler of a half-district of Beth Zur, made repairs up to a point opposite the tombs of David, as far as the artificial pool and the House of the Heroes.

Next to him, the repairs were made by the Levites under Rehum son of Bani. Beside him, Hashabiah, ruler of half the district of Keilah, carried out repairs for his district. Next to him, the repairs were made by their fellow Levites under Binnui son of Henadad, ruler of the other half-district of Keilah. Next to him, Ezer son of Jeshua, ruler of Mizpah, repaired another section, from a point facing the ascent to the armory as far as the angle of the wall. Next to him, Baruch son of Zabbai zealously repaired another section, from the angle to the entrance of the house of Eliashib the high priest. Next to him, Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired another section, from the entrance of Eliashib’s house to the end of it.

The repairs next to him were made by the priests from the surrounding region. Beyond them, Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs in front of their house; and next to them, Azariah son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, made repairs beside his house. Next to him, Binnui son of Henadad repaired another section, from Azariah’s house to the angle and the corner, and Palal son of Uzai worked opposite the angle and the tower projecting from the upper palace near the court of the guard. Next to him, Pedaiah son of Parosh and the temple servants living on the hill of Ophel made repairs up to a point opposite the Water Gate toward the east and the projecting tower. Next to them, the men of Tekoa repaired another section, from the great projecting tower to the wall of Ophel.

Above the Horse Gate, the priests made repairs, each in front of his own house. Next to them, Zadok son of Immer made repairs opposite his house. Next to him, Shemaiah son of Shekaniah, the guard at the East Gate, made repairs. Next to him, Hananiah son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section. Next to them, Meshullam son of Berekiah made repairs opposite his living quarters. Next to him, Malkijah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs as far as the house of the temple servants and the merchants, opposite the Inspection Gate, and as far as the room above the corner; and between the room above the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and merchants made repairs.

When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?”

Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!”

Hear us, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders.

So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.

But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.

Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.”

Also our enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.”

Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”

Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”

When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to our own work.

From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.

Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!”

So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out. At that time I also said to the people, “Have every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night, so they can serve us as guards by night and as workers by day.” Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, even when he went for water.

Nehemiah 3 and 4

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As the second chapter of Nehemiah closed, Nehemiah had convinced the people of Jerusalem to begin rebuilding the gates and walls around the city. In Chapter 3, we receive a detailed account of who built the different sections, an account that reveals the immensity of the work needed and the number of people who gave their time toward the project. The effort was massive.

Israel’s opposition was not very happy with the Israelite undertaking. We read where “Sanballat… became angry and…greatly incensed” when he “heard that (the Israelites) were rebuilding the wall.” Out of his anger, he “ridiculed the Jews…in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria.” He was joined in the mocking by “Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at (Sanballat’s) side.”

Nehemiah had words to speak as well but they weren’t words toward his enemies but rather words to God. He prayed:

“Hear us, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders.”

Nehemiah invoked God’s judgment against those who despised Israel. He knew God was with him and his fellow Israelites. He also knew God had ordained the walls and gates to be rebuilt and would see that work through to completion.

Indeed, the Israelites, working “with all their heart”, continued to build until “all of it reached half its height.” This prompted “Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod” to come together and plot to “fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it.”

Again, Nehemiah and his people “prayed to…God” and “posted a guard day and night to meet (the) threat posed by Israel’s enemies.

But Israel’s scheming enemies weren’t the only thing the people of Jerusalem were up against. Their own fatigue and anxiety in the midst of the work and the potential for attack was taking its toll.

Scripture tells us that “the people in Judah” said, “The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.” They were also wary that their enemies had threatened to “kill them and put an end to the work.”

To counter the threat, Nehemiah “stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows.” He then addressed the people with words that were meant to comfort them in the midst of their stress, fear and worry saying:

“Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”

Indeed, we read where Israel’s enemies realized that “God had frustrated” their plot and the people of Israel, buoyed by the confidence that God was with them, “returned to the wall, each to (their) own work.” They continued to keep watch and guard against attack as they built. Nehemiah kept the “man who sounded the trumpet” by his side to signal if an attack was occurring. This would allow the people to respond and defend the city. But it wasn’t just the people of Israel who would defend. For Nehemiah reminded “the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people” that “Our God will fight for us!”

Indeed, God can and will fight for us against our enemies, just as He did for Israel. So what are we worried about?

As we get set to enter a new year, hear the word of God from Nehemiah as it speaks to you and I. God is saying to us, “Do not be afraid. I am fighting for you.”

Are you up against problems in a relationship? God says, “Don’t be afraid. I am fighting for you.”

Have you lost a loved one, possibly your lifelong partner? God says, “Don’t be afraid. I am fighting for you.”

Are you dealing with an illness that is potentially life threatening? God says, “Don’t be afraid. I am fighting for you.”

Are you dealing with financial problems? God says, “Don’t be afraid. I am fighting for you.”

Are you unemployed and unsure when a job will come? God says, “Don’t be afraid. I am fighting for you.”

Friends, do not be afraid. Remember the Lord, our God, who is truly great, awesome, and willing to fight for us.

Stay encouraged and receive the good news from God’s word.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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GOD WILL DELIVER

2011-12-28T11:33:00.000-05:00

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.

In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.

By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate. The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work.

Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me.

They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.
But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. “What is this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?”

I answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”

Nehemiah 2:11-20

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Nehemiah, having gained permission from King Artaxerxes to leave Babylon and go to Jerusalem in the early verses of Chapter 2, arrives in Jerusalem and surveys the situation as the chapter closes.

We read that after staying in Jerusalem for three days, Nehemiah “set out during the night with a few others”, an action Nehemiah said “God had put in (his) heart to do for Jerusalem.” Note that Nehemiah was not led by his own impulses but by the lead of God. There’s much for us to learn from this in our own lives.

I know I can speak from experience in saying that I mess my life up the most when I try and take control of it. God has had to teach me that my life will follow the right course when I turn to Him for guidance and then obediently carry out His will, trusting that He wants the best for me. Maybe you can relate to this.

Back to the scriptures where we read that Nehemiah rode his mount “by night” going “out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire.” Nehemiah had only heard of what had happened when he was in Babylon. Now he was seeing it first-hand.

Nehemiah continued his assessment of the damage, moving “on toward the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool” where “there was not enough room for (his) mount to get through” so he continued through “valley…examining the wall” before turning back and reentering the city “through the Valley Gate.”

Having seen for himself what needed to be done, Nehemiah addressed the city officials who weren’t aware that Nehemiah had rode out at night to do his survey. His words were important as he needed to motivate the people to rebuild the walls and reestablish protection for the holy city. We read where Nehemiah said the following:

“You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.”

Those words alone might have been enough but then again, I could see where many people would be afraid about what a rebuilding project might bring, especially in the way of retaliation by the enemies of Jerusalem that lived in the surrounding areas.

Notice how Nehemiah adds the following to what he said to the people. For scripture tells us he “also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me.”

In other words, the idea of rebuilding wasn’t ordained by Nehemiah but rather ordained by God. His gracious hand was upon Nehemiah and it would be upon the people of Jerusalem as well as they undertook the work at hand.

What was the answer to Nehemiah’s request to rebuild? The people gave it saying, “Let us start rebuilding” and with that, “they began (the) good work.”

And so they did and it was no surprise that the opponents of Israel reacted adversely. We read where “Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about” the efforts and “mocked and ridiculed” the Israelites saying, “What is this you are doing?” and “Are you rebelling against the king?”

Nehemiah had an answer for them saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”

In the face of challenge, Nehemiah had it right and we should remember his words as we face challenges as well. The rebuilding was ordained and approved by God and so the project was going to be a success. No one, no matter how powerful they thought they were, would be able to oppose the Almighty God. It was true then and it’s true today.

As we seek God’s will for our own lives and receive His plan, we should remember that He will see His plan through to success, even if we have people who would appear to have power to thwart our efforts. We must move ahead with bold confidence in a God who can do all things…a God who faces nothing impossible to carry out. He will make the way for us just as He made the way for His people in Jerusalem.

All we need is to seek Him, follow His will, and trust Him as we do just that. God will deliver.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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THE POWER OF PRAYER

2011-12-26T22:51:00.000-05:00

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.

In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before, so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.”

I was very much afraid, but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”

The king said to me, “What is it you want?”

Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.”

Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.

I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests. So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.

When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.

Nehemiah 2:1-10

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In Chapter 1, Nehemiah came before the Lord in prayer “in the month of Kislev in the twentieth year.” At the end of the prayer, he asked for God to grant him “success…by granting…favor in the presence of this man.”

The man Nehemiah was speaking of was none other than King Artaxerxes who Nehemiah served as cupbearer.

It would be four months until Nehemiah would assess whether his prayer had been successful. We know this because Chapter 2 opens “in the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes” and Nisan was four months later than the month of Kislev.

Nehemiah, aware of the distress his fellow Israelites were under in Jerusalem, wanted to do something to assist but this would require him leaving Babylon and traveling to Jerusalem. The danger in asking the king for this was that the king could view the request as disrespectful from one of his servants and result in consequences…consequences which could include death. Nehemiah was willing to take the risk, trusting that God would help him find favor with the king.

And so we read that when Nehemiah took wine to the king, he did so with an uncharacteristic sad face prompting the king to ask, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.”

The door was open for Nehemiah to share his heart and what troubled him. But how would the king receive his words? Nehemiah was “very much afraid” but we sense he trusted that God would answer his prayer for he said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”

Nehemiah had shared his sadness. Jerusalem, the city where his ancestors were buried, was in ruins with its gates destroyed by fire. This is what was upsetting Nehemiah. But he still had not stepped over the line and asked to leave. His opportunity came available courtesy of the king’s next question.

For scripture tells us King Artaxerxes asked his servant Nehemiah, “What is it you want?”

The door was open. Nehemiah needed to be brave…to trust God to help him through this moment. And so before he turned to the king and his question, Nehemiah first turned to the Lord, praying “to the God of heaven” before answering the king’s question.

Friends, if we truly believe in the power of prayer, we will follow Nehemiah’s lead. Before we enter into any possible challenge, we will first turn to the Lord in prayer, gaining His strength and guidance. God is ready to deliver on our petitions and will not forsake us when we call on Him.

Emboldened by the Lord’s strength after prayer, Nehemiah went for it and asked for permission to go back to Jerusalem saying, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.”

The request had been made. Would Nehemiah have the King’s favor that he had prayed to God for?

The answer was yes for the king asked Nehemiah, “How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” Indeed, it “pleased the king to send” Nehemiah to Jerusalem. And so Nehemiah not only set a time that he would go for and then return but he also boldly asked for more help from the king. He first asked for “letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah”. He then asked for “a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy.” We read where Nehemiah received the letters and gave them to the “governors of Trans-Euphrates” and also received a bonus offering from the king as “army officers and cavalry” were sent along with him.

Did the king grant the requests because he liked Nehemiah? No, the requests were honored “because the gracious hand of my God was on” Nehemiah. It was God’s will that Nehemiah was blessed with what he asked for. Nehemiah had prayed for the king’s favor and God delivered, placing His gracious hand upon Nehemiah and helping him find his way out of Babylon so he could go and make a difference in God’s holy city among His chosen people.

Like Nehemiah, God is ready to use us in ways that will accomplish His will. As we enter into situations, we should pray for God’s will to be done and then ask God for what we need for His will to happen. God will answer that prayer and show us what He wants us to do.

The power in prayer comes from the One we pray to, the omnipotent God of gods, King of kings and Lord of lords. Pray to Him with confidence and trust. His way will always be perfect. We only need to walk in it.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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WHAT WILL WE DO WITH THE NEWS?

2011-12-25T10:09:00.002-05:00

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.

In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

While they (Mary and Joseph) were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.
An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

Luke 2:6-18

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

To truly capture the amazing nature of Christmas, we have to stay connected to the Word of God.

In Luke Chapter 2, we’re reminded that the God of the universe…of heaven and earth…of all creation…the omnipotent Lord of Lords and King of Kings came into this world with no fanfare but rather humbly in the most fragile human way possible: in the form of a baby. And He wasn’t born in some high-tech clinic with all the best natal care possible. No, because there was no other place for Him to be born, He entered the world in a lowly Bethlehem stable and was placed in a manger, wrapped in cloths and surrounded by His chosen parents, Mary and Joseph, humble people in their own rights who now were experiencing the words of the angel Gabriel come to life.

Meanwhile, there were other humble, lowly people about to have a miraculous experience. For “there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.” They were doing what they do day in and day out, night in and night out. But this was no ordinary night.

For “an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them.” Imagine the shock and surprise of this! The shepherds, not sure what to make of it all, “were terrified.” But the angel put them at ease saying, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

And as if this wasn’t incredible enough, “suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

And then, the angels left, returning to the heavens and leaving the shepherds in the amazing wake of their sudden appearance.

It didn’t seem to take long for the shepherds to decide what to do for we read where they said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” And so they did. “They hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger” and “when they had seen him”, they didn’t just let it end there at the manger. No, the shepherds were so amazed by what they had experienced that they couldn’t keep the news to themselves. Instead, “they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child”, shared their experiences, and as a result, left “all who heard it…amazed.”

I’m not sure what you are up against this Christmas day? Maybe you’re suffering from employment, financial or relationship hardship. Maybe you are lost, confused, or alone. Maybe the joy of Christmas doesn’t seem present this year.

If so, will you receive the words of the angel as the shepherds did?

The angel said, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

That same angel that spoke to the lowly, humble shepherds is speaking to us, the lowly, humble servants of God, today.

Can you hear the angel speaking? “Do not be afraid. Christ has come to bring hope and love and life everlasting.”

Friends, Jesus has come and the world was, is and will ever be changed forever. My prayer is that He will be reborn in your heart today…and may you not keep the good news of His coming to yourself but take it to all you see in the coming year. Like the shepherds, let us spread the word concerning Jesus. I guarantee that when we do it under the guide of the Holy Spirit, all we tell about Him will end up amazed…and hopefully on their way to salvation.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com

KNOWING WHERE TO TURN

2011-12-24T21:52:00.002-05:00

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.

In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah:

In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.

They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”
When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Then I said:

“Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.

“Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’

“They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”

I was cupbearer to the king.

Nehemiah 1

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

The books of Ezra and Nehemiah were originally one text covering three distinct stages of the Israelite return to Jerusalem from Babylonian exile.

In the first stage, King Cyrus permitted the Israelites to return to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Joshua. Stage 2 found Ezra returning to Jerusalem with a group of volunteers from Babylon and some recruited Levites. As Nehemiah begins, so too does the third stage with Nehemiah seeking to leave Babylon to return to Jerusalem.

As Chapter 1 opens, Nehemiah receives some bad news while he was in the “citadel of Susa” from “one of (his) brothers” who “came from Judah with some other men.” After questioning his brother and his comanions regarding “the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and… Jerusalem”, Nehemiah learns that “those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” Peril had struck God’s holy people and city.

Nehemiah took the news hard. We read that he “sat down and wept” and “for some days” he “mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.”

Nehemiah had to have felt pretty helpless. His fellows Jews were under siege and he was in Babylon. What could he do to help when so far away?

Maybe you have felt this way at sometime or another? I know I have. I have family members spread all over the country and I have had service men and women forward deployed to all parts of the world, often in harm’s way. When things go wrong from a distance with people you care for, one can feel just like Nehemiah…a four month’s journey away from Jerusalem in Babylon.

So what can we do in the midst of our helpless when we are so distant from people we love who may be going through hardship?

We can follow the example of Nehemiah in our scriptures today. For Nehemiah knew where to turn. He turned to God, the only One who can do all things no matter the distance.

Our scriptures reveal Nehemiah’s prayer:

“Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.

“Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’

“They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”

I was cupbearer to the king.

Note the key components to Nehemiah’s prayer because it offers us a template to follow ourselves as we bow before the Father.

First, Nehemiah acknoledges God for who He is:

1. Lord
2. The “God of heaven”
3. The “great and awesome God”
4. The God who “keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments”

As we petition the Lord, we should always proclaim who He is to us…and this shoudn’t be hard when we fully realize God’s majesty and power (if you have forgotten, just read Genesis 1).

Next, Nehemiah asks for God to hear his prayer saying, “Let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel.” A humble approach to prayer will always involve asking God to hear our petitions.

Third, Nehemiah turns to confession praying, “I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.”

We, like Nehemiah and the Israelites, have sinned before God, failing to keep His commands and decrees…failing to follow His will and way. We know we serve a forgiving God and we also know He expects us to confess and repent when we sin, seeking His help to become more like the people He wants us to be. Confession should always be a part of our prayers. Nehemiah models that for us.

Fourth, Nehemiah shows he understands the history of God’s relationship with the people of Israel to include the promises God made. Note how Nehemiah frames up the Lord’s promised consequence and restoration as he states:

“Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’”

Indeed, God had done just what He said He would do. The people of Israel were unfaithful and so the people of Israel were scattered and exiled…but not forever, for after 70 years the people were returned to the place where God chose as a dwelling for His Name. That place was Jerusalem.

As we form our prayers to God, we should remember His promises…His promises of consequences if we choose to be disobedient and His promises of restoration as we enter back into favor with Him through righting our wrongs in accordance with the guidance provided by His word and Spirit.

Finally, Nehemiah turns to intercession, pleading on behalf of the returning exiles in Jerusalem. Nehemiah states, “They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”

Nehemiah felt he might be able to do something to help his fellow Jews if God would grant him the favor in the “presence of this man”, referring to the king of Persia, King Artaxerxes, who Nehemiah served as cupbearer.

Yes, Nehemiah knew who he could turn to in his time of distress. He knew God was only a prayer away. He knew of God’s infinite power. He knew God answered prayer and trusted in that truth. he knew he was a sinner and confessed such before God. He knew of God’s promises and knew God kept His holy word. And he knew God listens to the pleas of intercessors and so he pettioned the Lord on behalf of the besieged Jews in Jerusalem.

We know he knew because his prayer revealed it. Our prayers would be well served to reveal the same as we come before our Almighty Lord.

So how would God respond to Nehemiah? We’ll see in Chapter 2.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com

A RECOMMITMENT TO OBEDIENCE

2011-12-23T23:46:00.000-05:00

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.

In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

After these things had been done, the leaders came to me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring peoples with their detestable practices, like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites. They have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, and have mingled the holy race with the peoples around them. And the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness.”

When I heard this, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard and sat down appalled. Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of this unfaithfulness of the exiles. And I sat there appalled until the evening sacrifice.
Then, at the evening sacrifice, I rose from my self-abasement, with my tunic and cloak torn, and fell on my knees with my hands spread out to the Lord my God and prayed:

“I am too ashamed and disgraced, my God, to lift up my face to You, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens. From the days of our ancestors until now, our guilt has been great. Because of our sins, we and our kings and our priests have been subjected to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation at the hand of foreign kings, as it is today.

“But now, for a brief moment, the Lord our God has been gracious in leaving us a remnant and giving us a firm place in his sanctuary, and so our God gives light to our eyes and a little relief in our bondage. Though we are slaves, our God has not forsaken us in our bondage. He has shown us kindness in the sight of the kings of Persia: He has granted us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and He has given us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.

“But now, our God, what can we say after this? For we have forsaken the commands You gave through your servants the prophets when you said: ‘The land you are entering to possess is a land polluted by the corruption of its peoples. By their detestable practices, they have filled it with their impurity from one end to the other. Therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them at any time, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it to your children as an everlasting inheritance.’

“What has happened to us is a result of our evil deeds and our great guilt, and yet, our God, You have punished us less than our sins deserved and have given us a remnant like this. Shall we then break your commands again and intermarry with the peoples who commit such detestable practices? Would You not be angry enough with us to destroy us, leaving us no remnant or survivor? Lord, the God of Israel, you are righteous! We are left this day as a remnant. Here we are before You in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in Your presence.”

While Ezra was praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God, a large crowd of Israelites—men, women and children—gathered around him. They too wept bitterly. Then Shekaniah son of Jehiel, one of the descendants of Elam, said to Ezra, “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel. Now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law. Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it.”

So Ezra rose up and put the leading priests and Levites and all Israel under oath to do what had been suggested. And they took the oath. Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God and went to the room of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. While he was there, he ate no food and drank no water, because he continued to mourn over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.

A proclamation was then issued throughout Judah and Jerusalem for all the exiles to assemble in Jerusalem. Anyone who failed to appear within three days would forfeit all his property, in accordance with the decision of the officials and elders, and would himself be expelled from the assembly of the exiles.

Within the three days, all the men of Judah and Benjamin had gathered in Jerusalem. And on the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the people were sitting in the square before the house of God, greatly distressed by the occasion and because of the rain. Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have been unfaithful; you have married foreign women, adding to Israel’s guilt. Now honor the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples around you and from your foreign wives.”

The whole assembly responded with a loud voice: “You are right! We must do as you say. But there are many people here and it is the rainy season; so we cannot stand outside. Besides, this matter cannot be taken care of in a day or two, because we have sinned greatly in this thing. Let our officials act for the whole assembly. Then let everyone in our towns who has married a foreign woman come at a set time, along with the elders and judges of each town, until the fierce anger of our God in this matter is turned away from us.” Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, supported by Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite, opposed this.

So the exiles did as was proposed. Ezra the priest selected men who were family heads, one from each family division, and all of them designated by name. On the first day of the tenth month they sat down to investigate the cases, and by the first day of the first month they finished dealing with all the men who had married foreign women.

Among the descendants of the priests, the following had married foreign women:

From the descendants of Joshua son of Jozadak, and his brothers: Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib and Gedaliah. (They all gave their hands in pledge to put away their wives, and for their guilt they each presented a ram from the flock as a guilt offering.)

From the descendants of Immer: Hanani and Zebadiah.
From the descendants of Harim: Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel and Uzziah.
From the descendants of Pashhur: Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad and Elasah.
Among the Levites: Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (that is, Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah and Eliezer.
From the musicians: Eliashib.
From the gatekeepers: Shallum, Telem and Uri.
And among the other Israelites:
From the descendants of Parosh: Ramiah, Izziah, Malkijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Malkijah and Benaiah.
From the descendants of Elam: Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth and Elijah.
From the descendants of Zattu: Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad and Aziza.
From the descendants of Bebai: Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai and Athlai.
From the descendants of Bani: Meshullam, Malluk, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal and Jeremoth.
From the descendants of Pahath-Moab: Adna, Kelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui and Manasseh.
From the descendants of Harim: Eliezer, Ishijah, Malkijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon, 32 Benjamin, Malluk and Shemariah.
From the descendants of Hashum: Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh and Shimei.
From the descendants of Bani: Maadai, Amram, Uel, 35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi, 36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib, 37 Mattaniah, Mattenai and Jaasu.
From the descendants of Binnui: Shimei, Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah, Maknadebai, Shashai, Sharai, Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah, Shallum, Amariah and Joseph.
From the descendants of Nebo: Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel and Benaiah.

All these had married foreign women, and some of them had children by these wives.

Ezra 9 - 10

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Ezra and his fellow Israelites had returned to Jerusalem safely due to, as Ezra’s credits, the gracious hand of God…the hand that provided provision and protection.

So what happened once they settled into Jerusalem, restored from exile by God?

Unfortunately, they reverted back to repeating the mistakes of the past.

Part of what got the people of Israel in trouble was assimilating with other peoples who had very different religious practices. These people worshipped multiple gods and carried on lifestyles that were contrary to what the true God of Israel expected. The people of Israel started to adopt the religious practices of others which brought on the ire of the God who commanded that there would be no other gods allowed before Him. As Israel continued to commit this sin, they eventually found themselves removed from the Promised Land all together and sent into exile in babylon with a remnant allowed to return one day and start anew. That remnant, now returned to Jerusalem, was slipping back into past practices.

We know this from the closing chapters of Ezra. As Chapter 9 opens, we read where Ezra received the following report from his leaders:

“The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring peoples with their detestable practices, like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites. They have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, and have mingled the holy race with the peoples around them. And the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness.”

These words pierced Ezra deeply for he shares that he “tore my tunic and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard and sat down appalled… until the evening sacrifice.” As Ezra sat in his sorrowed state, he was surrounded by “everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel.”

Once the evening sacrifice began, Ezra fell on his knees and prayed the following:

“I am too ashamed and disgraced, my God, to lift up my face to You, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens. From the days of our ancestors until now, our guilt has been great. Because of our sins, we and our kings and our priests have been subjected to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation at the hand of foreign kings, as it is today. But now, for a brief moment, the Lord our God has been gracious in leaving us a remnant and giving us a firm place in his sanctuary, and so our God gives light to our eyes and a little relief in our bondage. Though we are slaves, our God has not forsaken us in our bondage. He has shown us kindness in the sight of the kings of Persia: He has granted us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and He has given us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.

“But now, our God, what can we say after this? For we have forsaken the commands You gave through your servants the prophets when you said: ‘The land you are entering to possess is a land polluted by the corruption of its peoples. By their detestable practices, they have filled it with their impurity from one end to the other. Therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them at any time, that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it to your children as an everlasting inheritance.’ What has happened to us is a result of our evil deeds and our great guilt, and yet, our God, You have punished us less than our sins deserved and have given us a remnant like this. Shall we then break your commands again and intermarry with the peoples who commit such detestable practices? Would You not be angry enough with us to destroy us, leaving us no remnant or survivor? Lord, the God of Israel, you are righteous! We are left this day as a remnant. Here we are before You in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in Your presence.”

Indeed, Ezra was worried and rightfully so. He understood what it meant to fear the Lord because he fully understood God’s law and what it required. He also knew very well the consequences of knowingly violating God’s expectation. It was called the wrath of God. This is why Ezra was so filled with fear, not so much for himself as for the people he had come to teach about the law of God.

Ezra’s dismay was not lost on those who witnessed his actions. Scripture tells us that while Ezra was “praying and confessing, weeping and throwing himself down before the house of God”, he was joined by “a large crowd of Israelites—men, women and children” who “gathered around him” and also “wept bitterly.” Things looked dire unless something was done to make amends with God. A recommitment to obedience was in order.

The first step in the right direction came when Shekaniah, one of the volunteers who joined Ezra in Babylon, said, “We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women from the peoples around us. But in spite of this, there is still hope for Israel. Now let us make a covenant before our God to send away all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it be done according to the Law. Rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it.”

Getting right with God sometimes requires drastic measures and difficult sacrifices. In the instance Ezra and the Israelites were dealing with, Shekaniah’s recommendation was to “make a covenant before…God to send away all (the foreign) women and their children, in accordance with the counsel of (Ezra) and of those who fear the commands of…God.”

Ezra was to take the lead in this and as we read, he did just that. He “rose up and put the leading priests and Levites and all Israel under oath to do what had been suggested” and they did just that. Then Ezra left the Isaraelites to do what they had sworn they would do while he “withdrew…and went to the room of Jehohanan” where he “ate no food and drank no water, because he continued to mourn over the unfaithfulness of the exiles.”

Meanwhile. “a proclamation was…issued throughout Judah and Jerusalem for all the exiles to assemble in Jerusalem” and “anyone who failed to appear within three days would forfeit all his property, in accordance with the decision of the officials and elders, and would himself be expelled from the assembly of the exiles.” Scripture tells us that “within…three days, all the men of Judah and Benjamin had gathered in Jerusalem” and “on the twentieth day of the ninth month, all the people were sitting in the square before the house of God, greatly distressed by the occasion and because of the rain.” It was then that Ezra stood up and spoke the following words:

“You have been unfaithful; you have married foreign women, adding to Israel’s guilt. Now honor the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and do his will. Separate yourselves from the peoples around you and from your foreign wives.”

In reponse to Ezra’s demand, we read where the “whole assembly responded with a loud voice” saying, ‘You are right! We must do as you say. But there are many people here and it is the rainy season; so we cannot stand outside. Besides, this matter cannot be taken care of in a day or two, because we have sinned greatly in this thing. Let our officials act for the whole assembly. Then let everyone in our towns who has married a foreign woman come at a set time, along with the elders and judges of each town, until the fierce anger of our God in this matter is turned away from us.’”

And so “the exiles did as was proposed” and Ezra “selected men who were family heads, one from each family division” to “investigate the cases.” They began “on the first day of the tenth month” and finished their work “dealing with all the men who had married foreign women”, listed at the end of the chapter.

So what do we take away from this scripture?

We’re all sinners, that’s a fact. We all have weaknesses, temptations that Satan, our enemy, tries to use against us…to live in a way contrary to God’s expectations.

For the men of Israel, it was falling in love with women who would end up being an adverse influence on them spiritually. For us, maybe it’s a bad habit or addiction. Maybe it’s any number of actions that would violate how the Bible says we should live.

Whatever our issues, we are expected to do something about them, not just continue violating the Lord’s standards.

We can do this by following the lead of the Israelites in Ezra’s time and take an oath to rid ourselves of what would cause us to sin. For the Israelite men, it was the foreign women they had decided to wed. That couldn’t have been easy but it was necessary for them to do it. They got themselves into their situation and they would have to correct it. So too is it for us if we smoke, drink excessively, do drugs, selfishly hoard what God blessed us with vice be charitable, use profanity regulary, lust after others, find ourselves quick to anger and slow to love, etc, etc, etc. We must make radical changes to correct our sinful lifestyles. Like get rid of smoking, alcohol, pornography, greed, lust, cigarettes, etc…whatever causes us to live outside of God’s expectations.

In the end, our sole goal in life should be to live in a way that pleases Him and brings glory to His name. We can’t expect to do that if we conscientiously choose to be disobedient and violate God’s commands.

As we get set to enter into a new year, maybe we would all be well suited to renew our commitment to obedience, identifying where we are failing and doing something about it.

The good news is the Lord is ready to provide you with anything you need to get right with His word, will and way. He’s just a prayer away.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com

THE GRACIOUS HAND OF GOD

2011-12-22T09:53:00.002-05:00

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.

In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

These are the family heads and those registered with them who came up with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes:

of the descendants of Phinehas, Gershom;
of the descendants of Ithamar, Daniel;
of the descendants of David, Hattush 3 of the descendants of Shekaniah;
of the descendants of Parosh, Zechariah, and with him were registered 150 men;
of the descendants of Pahath-Moab, Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, and with him 200 men;
of the descendants of Zattu,[a] Shekaniah son of Jahaziel, and with him 300 men;
of the descendants of Adin, Ebed son of Jonathan, and with him 50 men;
of the descendants of Elam, Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, and with him 70 men;
of the descendants of Shephatiah, Zebadiah son of Michael, and with him 80 men;
of the descendants of Joab, Obadiah son of Jehiel, and with him 218 men;
of the descendants of Bani,[b] Shelomith son of Josiphiah, and with him 160 men;
of the descendants of Bebai, Zechariah son of Bebai, and with him 28 men;
of the descendants of Azgad, Johanan son of Hakkatan, and with him 110 men;
of the descendants of Adonikam, the last ones, whose names were Eliphelet, Jeuel and Shemaiah, and with them 60 men;
of the descendants of Bigvai, Uthai and Zakkur, and with them 70 men.

I assembled them at the canal that flows toward Ahava, and we camped there three days. When I checked among the people and the priests, I found no Levites there. So I summoned Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah and Meshullam, who were leaders, and Joiarib and Elnathan, who were men of learning, and I ordered them to go to Iddo, the leader in Kasiphia. I told them what to say to Iddo and his fellow Levites, the temple servants in Kasiphia, so that they might bring attendants to us for the house of our God. Because the gracious hand of our God was on us, they brought us Sherebiah, a capable man, from the descendants of Mahli son of Levi, the son of Israel, and Sherebiah’s sons and brothers, 18 in all; and Hashabiah, together with Jeshaiah from the descendants of Merari, and his brothers and nephews, 20 in all. They also brought 220 of the temple servants—a body that David and the officials had established to assist the Levites. All were registered by name.

There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions. I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, “The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.” So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.

Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, namely, Sherebiah, Hashabiah and ten of their brothers, and I weighed out to them the offering of silver and gold and the articles that the king, his advisers, his officials and all Israel present there had donated for the house of our God. I weighed out to them 650 talents of silver, silver articles weighing 100 talents, 100 talents of gold, 20 bowls of gold valued at 1,000 darics, and two fine articles of polished bronze, as precious as gold.

I said to them, “You as well as these articles are consecrated to the Lord. The silver and gold are a freewill offering to the Lord, the God of your ancestors. Guard them carefully until you weigh them out in the chambers of the house of the Lord in Jerusalem before the leading priests and the Levites and the family heads of Israel.” Then the priests and Levites received the silver and gold and sacred articles that had been weighed out to be taken to the house of our God in Jerusalem.

On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us, and he protected us from enemies and bandits along the way. So we arrived in Jerusalem, where we rested three days.

On the fourth day, in the house of our God, we weighed out the silver and gold and the sacred articles into the hands of Meremoth son of Uriah, the priest. Eleazar son of Phinehas was with him, and so were the Levites Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui. Everything was accounted for by number and weight, and the entire weight was recorded at that time.

Then the exiles who had returned from captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel: twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven male lambs and, as a sin offering, twelve male goats. All this was a burnt offering to the Lord. They also delivered the king’s orders to the royal satraps and to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, who then gave assistance to the people and to the house of God.

Ezra 8

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Have you experienced the gracious hand of God in your life?

In our scriptures today, we find Ezra attesting that he had. In his first person account of the journey from Babylon to Jerusalem, he tells in great detail about the challenges he faced while traveling to the Holy City and how God was actively involved in ensuring that he and his fellow soujourners arrived safely.

One of the first challenges Ezra had was a lack of Levitical leadership. You’ll recall that not everyone was required to depart Babylon with Ezra but only those who volunteered to go. When Ezra assembled the people “at the canal that flows toward Ahava” and set up camp there, he “checked among the people and the priests” and “found no Levites there.” Under the law, Levites were required to transport articles for the temple.

And so Ezra sent “Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah and Meshullam” (mentioned as men who were leaders) as well as “Joiarib and Elnathan” (“men of learning” to “Iddo, the leader in Kasiphia.” The purpose of the mission was to recruit “attendants to us for the house of our God” and it was successful as Ezra’s envoy returned with “Sherebiah...(and his) sons and brothers, a total of 18 people. Additionally, “Hashabiah…and Jeshaiah with his “brothers and nephews” (20 in all) as well as “220…temple servants” came along. Indeed, the “gracious hand of…God was on” Ezra in bringing him the people needed to ensure the trip was conducted in accordance with God’s law and statutes.

We would be well served to remember this as we go through our lives. For how often does the way seem uncertain for us as we try and carry out the Lord’s plan. Often times, we might find ourselves wondering how we will get from start to finish successfully while still adhering to God’s expectations.

Perhaps, we, like Ezra, should look to the gracious hand of God to provide us all that we need to not only carry out His will but to do so in a righteous and holy fashion…a fashion that is completely in step with His word.

With his Levitical requirements more than met, Ezra wasn’t free from further challenge. For the journey was not one for the faint of heart. There would be potential danger ahead over the four months needed to get to Jerusalem from Babylon.

Ezra had not asked King Artaxerxes to provide security for his group as he was “ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road.” Why was he ashamed to ask? Because Ezra had boldly stated that “The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.” Maybe the feeling of shame Ezra felt was really a feeling of conviction from the Lord. Maybe God was piercing Ezra’s soul, haunting him with the words, “Do you not trust God to help you get to the Holy City Ezra?”

Well, Ezra now was set to do just that…trust God to protect him and his group during their journey. He “proclaimed a fast” by the canal where they camped so that he and his people “might humble (themselves) before…God and ask Him for a safe journey for (them) and (their) children (and)…possessions.”

What was God’s response to the petition of Ezra and his people?

Scripture tells us that God answered their prayer.

And indeed, after Ezra had given the “priests and Levites…the silver and gold and sacred articles that had been weighed out to be taken to the house of…God in Jerusalem”, the group “set out from the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem” on the “twelfth day of the first month” and four months later “arrived in Jerusalem” safely having been “protected us from enemies and bandits along the way” because the “hand of…God was on” them.

What challenges are you facing in life? Does the way ahead seem uncertain and potentially perilous?

I think God’s word from Ezra, Chapter 8, offers us important instruction in how we should proceed.

First, we need to turn our full focus and attention to God, petitioning Him for His help and guidance with a trusting attitude that shows we know He can do all things. Ezra used fasting as a way to show his full reliance on God to provide. This was coupled with prayer and meditation. We can do likewise to fully connect with our Father and ask for His gracious hand to be upon us.

Second, we need to receive God’s graciousness with thanksgiving. Ezra and his people safely traveled to Jerusalem and then “sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel.” They expressed their gratitude through worship. We are to do likewise…to live in a spirit of worship and praise unto our God who can do all things.

Who else can we say that about in our lives?

Provision and protection. All from the gracious hand of God the Father to His beloved.

Have you thanked Him for that today?

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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ACKNOWLEDGING GOD’S AUTHORITY

2011-12-21T15:21:00.002-05:00

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

This is a copy of the letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra the priest, a teacher of the Law, a man learned in matters concerning the commands and decrees of the LORD for Israel:

Artaxerxes, king of kings,

To Ezra the priest, teacher of the Law of the God of heaven:

Greetings.

Now I decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including priests and Levites, who volunteer to go to Jerusalem with you, may go. You are sent by the king and his seven advisers to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem with regard to the Law of your God, which is in your hand. Moreover, you are to take with you the silver and gold that the king and his advisers have freely given to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, together with all the silver and gold you may obtain from the province of Babylon, as well as the freewill offerings of the people and priests for the temple of their God in Jerusalem. With this money be sure to buy bulls, rams and male lambs, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and sacrifice them on the altar of the temple of your God in Jerusalem.

You and your fellow Israelites may then do whatever seems best with the rest of the silver and gold, in accordance with the will of your God. Deliver to the God of Jerusalem all the articles entrusted to you for worship in the temple of your God. And anything else needed for the temple of your God that you are responsible to supply, you may provide from the royal treasury.

Now I, King Artaxerxes, decree that all the treasurers of Trans-Euphrates are to provide with diligence whatever Ezra the priest, the teacher of the Law of the God of heaven, may ask of you—up to a hundred talents of silver, a hundred cors of wheat, a hundred baths of wine, a hundred baths of olive oil, and salt without limit. Whatever the God of heaven has prescribed, let it be done with diligence for the temple of the God of heaven. Why should His wrath fall on the realm of the king and of his sons? You are also to know that you have no authority to impose taxes, tribute or duty on any of the priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers, temple servants or other workers at this house of God.

And you, Ezra, in accordance with the wisdom of your God, which you possess, appoint magistrates and judges to administer justice to all the people of Trans-Euphrates—all who know the laws of your God. And you are to teach any who do not know them. Whoever does not obey the law of your God and the law of the king must surely be punished by death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.

Praise be to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who has put it into the king’s heart to bring honor to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem in this way and who has extended his good favor to me before the king and his advisers and all the king’s powerful officials. Because the hand of the Lord my God was on me, I took courage and gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.

Ezra 7:11-28

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In the early verses of Chapter 7, we know that Ezra was permitted by King Artaxerxes to leave Babylon and travel to Jerusalem where he would teach God’s laws to the Israelites. We know the journey lasted four months.

The remainder of the chapter contains the guidance given by King Artaxerxes regarding his decision. What’s interesting about the letter is the king’s willingness to pronounce God as being the One who was really in authority. Note the following statements from the letter:

1. Now I decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including priests and Levites, who volunteer to go to Jerusalem with you, may go. You are sent by the king and his seven advisers to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem with regard to the Law of your God, which is in your hand.

And you, Ezra, in accordance with the wisdom of your God, which you possess, appoint magistrates and judges to administer justice to all the people of Trans-Euphrates—all who know the laws of your God. And you are to teach any who do not know them. Whoever does not obey the law of your God and the law of the king must surely be punished by death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.

The law Ezra was directed to teach was not the law of Persia or the edicts of King Artaxerxes or any leader in the Trans-Euphrates. No, the law was the law of God, the King of kings. And Ezra was permitted to appoint his own magistrates and judges to uphold the laws of God. Today, His word still holds the same authority, higher than any man-made directives. And the church is permitted to appoint its own people to uphold standards and administer justice when required.

2. Moreover, you are to take with you the silver and gold that the king and his advisers have freely given to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, together with all the silver and gold you may obtain from the province of Babylon, as well as the freewill offerings of the people and priests for the temple of their God in Jerusalem. With this money be sure to buy bulls, rams and male lambs, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and sacrifice them on the altar of the temple of your God in Jerusalem.

Now I, King Artaxerxes, decree that all the treasurers of Trans-Euphrates are to provide with diligence whatever Ezra the priest, the teacher of the Law of the God of heaven, may ask of you—up to a hundred talents of silver, a hundred cors of wheat, a hundred baths of wine, a hundred baths of olive oil, and salt without limit.

You are also to know that you have no authority to impose taxes, tribute or duty on any of the priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers, temple servants or other workers at this house of God.

With authority comes the honor of tribute, spiritually and materially. The King of Persia recognized the majesty and magnitude of worship owed to God. Nothing should be spared to grant the Lord the honor He deserves. The king wanted to ensure THE King was honored appropriately with not only material from his people but from the people surrounding Jerusalem in the Trans-Euphrates. And no one had a right to demand anything from God’s people but God Himself. Additional levies by surrounding nations would take away from the full tribute God deserved. Thus such tributes were not permitted. In sum, we to not hold back anything needed to honor God today anymore that the people of Israel were to less than 500 years before the coming of Jesus. We are to give it all to the One who gave, and continues to give, us everything.

3. You and your fellow Israelites may then do whatever seems best with the rest of the silver and gold, in accordance with the will of your God. Deliver to the God of Jerusalem all the articles entrusted to you for worship in the temple of your God. And anything else needed for the temple of your God that you are responsible to supply, you may provide from the royal treasury.

When one is in authority, his or her will is to be followed. Note that the king didn’t mandate what Ezra or the Israelites did with the silver, gold or anything else needed for the temple. No, it was the will of God that mattered the most. And it still does today.

4. Whatever the God of heaven has prescribed, let it be done with diligence for the temple of the God of heaven. Why should His wrath fall on the realm of the king and of his sons?

No one had the right to overrule the commands God gave. Not then, not now. As long as the authority of God was respected and His orders followed, then there would be no need for His wrath to fall on anyone. If a Persian king could figure this out then, it makes you wonder why leaders today can’t figure it out.

5. Praise be to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who has put it into the king’s heart to bring honor to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem in this way and who has extended his good favor to me before the king and his advisers and all the king’s powerful officials. Because the hand of the Lord my God was on me, I took courage and gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.

The very words of Ezra at the end of the chapter serve to give credit to the power and majesty of the God Most High. It was He and He alone that put it in King Artaxerxes’ heart to permit what he did and write what he wrote. Further, it was by God’s authority that Ezra was appointed to the duties he went to Jerusalem to perform. God ordains what happens in our lives because He’s in charge. We’re to be obedient and respond in loyalty to whatever He asks us to do. The strength needed to carry out His wishes will come from Him also because His hand is on you and I, just as it was on Ezra and countless others called into God’s service.

Yes, God is in charge and in control. There is no higher power…no greater authority. Only a foolish person fails to submit to Him. As we approach a new year, we would be well served to recommit to His sovereignty and obligate ourselves obediently to His leadership.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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WHAT THE LORD GIVES

2011-12-20T12:24:00.002-05:00

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

After these things, during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub, the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest—this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him. Some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers and temple servants, also came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.

Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. He had begun his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was on him. For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.

Ezra 7:1-10

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

It’s interesting that we get through six chapters of the Book of Ezra before we actually are introduced to the man who the book was named after. Scripture tells us Ezra was a “teacher well versed in the Law of Moses” who was sent from Babylon to Jerusalem where he would teach the “Law of the Lord” in Israel. We read where Ezra traveled in the “seventh year of the king” which is thought to be 457 BC. He departed “Babylon on the first day of the first month” (the Hebrew month of Abib) and “arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month” (the Hebrew month Ab).

Embedded in this introduction to Ezra are some important points for us to remember as we consider God and what He provides. Sometimes I think we go through our lives taking the most fundamental things about the Lord for granted because He always does them for us. Consider these three things from this passage as we consider what the Lord gives:

1. The Lord gives us guidance.

Indeed, the very scripture we are studying from is the inspired, infallible word of the Lord Most High, the same Lord who gave the Law of Moses to the people of Israel and, in turn, to Ezra to use in his teaching. The Lord, not only the God of Israel but the God of all peoples, provided guidance then and He still does so today through His words and the Holy Spirit.

2. The Lord gives us provision.

Ezra and his entourage needed supplied for the four month trek to Jerusalem. Note that our scriptures tell us the “king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.” Ezra wasn’t equipped because he had gained personal favor from the Persian royalty. No, he was equipped because the hand of God was on him. And the good news is that this same holy hand, the holy hand of God, is on us as well as He provides for us in accordance with His perfect will and way.

3. The Lord gives us protection.

As Ezra and his fellow travelers made their way to Jerusalem, they entered into a journey which had the potential for great danger. There was always the possibility of attack. But we read where Ezra and his group made it safely to Jerusalem, not because they had done a great job warding off any would-be enemies but rather because “the gracious hand of his God was on him.” What a comfort it is for us to know that the Lord still gives us protection today, ever watching over us while keeping His gracious hand upon us.

Yes, what an awesome Lord we serve! A Lord who guides, provides and protects now just as He did in the days of Ezra.

Thanks be to God for His goodness, grace and love!

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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WAIT ON THE LORD

2011-12-18T20:57:00.000-05:00

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the prophet, a descendant of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.

At that time Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates went to them and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?” They also asked, “What are the names of those who are constructing this building?” But the eye of their God was watching over the elders of the Jews, and they were not stopped until a report could go to Darius and his written reply be received.

This is a copy of the letter that Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates, the officials of Trans-Euphrates, sent to King Darius. The report they sent him read as follows:

To King Darius:

Cordial greetings.

The king should know that we went to the district of Judah, to the temple of the great God. The people are building it with large stones and placing the timbers in the walls. The work is being carried on with diligence and is making rapid progress under their direction.

We questioned the elders and asked them, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?” We also asked them their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders for your information.

This is the answer they gave us:

“We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, one that a great king of Israel built and finished. But because our ancestors angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean, king of Babylon, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.

“However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this house of God. He even removed from the temple of Babylon the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to the temple in Babylon. Then King Cyrus gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor, and he told him, ‘Take these articles and go and deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem. And rebuild the house of God on its site.’

“So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem. From that day to the present it has been under construction but is not yet finished.”

Now if it pleases the king, let a search be made in the royal archives of Babylon to see if King Cyrus did in fact issue a decree to rebuild this house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us his decision in this matter.

King Darius then issued an order, and they searched in the archives stored in the treasury at Babylon. A scroll was found in the citadel of Ecbatana in the province of Media, and this was written on it:

Memorandum:

In the first year of King Cyrus, the king issued a decree concerning the temple of God in Jerusalem:

Let the temple be rebuilt as a place to present sacrifices, and let its foundations be laid. It is to be sixty cubits high and sixty cubits wide, with three courses of large stones and one of timbers. The costs are to be paid by the royal treasury. Also, the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, are to be returned to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; they are to be deposited in the house of God.

Now then, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and you other officials of that province, stay away from there. Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site.

Moreover, I hereby decree what you are to do for these elders of the Jews in the construction of this house of God:

Their expenses are to be fully paid out of the royal treasury, from the revenues of Trans-Euphrates, so that the work will not stop. Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, male lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and olive oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given them daily without fail, so that they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the well-being of the king and his sons.

Furthermore, I decree that if anyone defies this edict, a beam is to be pulled from their house and they are to be impaled on it. And for this crime their house is to be made a pile of rubble. May God, who has caused his Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to change this decree or to destroy this temple in Jerusalem.

I Darius have decreed it. Let it be carried out with diligence.

Then, because of the decree King Darius had sent, Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates carried it out with diligence. So the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah, a descendant of Iddo. They finished building the temple according to the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes, kings of Persia. The temple was completed on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius.

Then the people of Israel—the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles—celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy. For the dedication of this house of God they offered a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred male lambs and, as a sin offering for all Israel, twelve male goats, one for each of the tribes of Israel. And they installed the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their groups for the service of God at Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses.

On the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles celebrated the Passover. The priests and Levites had purified themselves and were all ceremonially clean. The Levites slaughtered the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their relatives the priests and for themselves. So the Israelites who had returned from the exile ate it, together with all who had separated themselves from the unclean practices of their Gentile neighbors in order to seek the Lord, the God of Israel. For seven days they celebrated with joy the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because the Lord had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel.

Ezra 5 and 6

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As Chapter 4 ended, the rebuilding of the temple had come to a dead stop. You’ll recall that the enemies of Israel that lived around Jerusalem had petitioned the King of Persia, King Artaxerxes, to order the Israelites to stop building. They based their request on a claim that Jerusalem had been a city which had been rebellious and problematic for past kings. To support their claim, they asked the king to look it up and see that they were telling the truth.

And so King Artaxerxes did just that and found that there had been problems in the past and he believed the assertion that allowing the people of Israel to rebuild would result in a loss of control for Persia and the Israelites withholding taxes and tributes. The king issued a decree for the construction to cease and his order was carried out.

I think we often times see this happen to us. In the midst of doing what we see as good works in the name of the Lord, we sometimes find ourselves under siege by others. I have always believed that I can assess how well I am doing in following the Lord’s will by seeing how many attacks come my way in the midst of carrying out His plan. The more attacks from the enemy signals to me that I am on the right track.

Face it, one of Satan’s main goals is to derail every good and perfect thing that God is trying to do. And he more often than not, will do so by going after those who are carrying out God’s wishes.

Fast forward to the next chapters of Ezra however and you will see reinforcement to the truth that God will always claim victory over the enemy. And so will those who faithfully serve Him.

What we find in looking at the scriptures is that the people of Israel didn’t force the issue. They didn’t build in defiance to King Artaxerxes. No, they waited. They waited on the Lord to show them the way to victory.

As we look at the passage, we see the temple construction restarted after the “Jews in Judah and Jerusalem” received a prophesy from the prophets Haggai and Zechariah “in the name of the God of Israel.” Upon receiving the prophesy, “Zerubbabel…and Joshua…set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem” with the “prophets of God…supporting them.”

Well, you know the enemies of Israel were not going to stand by and allow this to happen. We read where “Tattenai, governor of Trans-Euphrates, and Shethar-Bozenai and their associates” went to the Israelites and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and to finish it?” and “What are the names of those who are constructing this building?”

Another confrontation but something was different this time around. Scripture tells us that “the eye of…God was watching over the elders of the Jews and they were not stopped until a report could go to Darius and his written reply be received.” Darius was the new king of Persia.

And so Tattenai, Shethar-Bozenai, and their associates wrote a letter to King Darius. After telling the king that the temple was again being rebuilt, the enemies of Israel told him they had asked about who had authorized the construction to resume and who was leading the efforts. They then provided the following as the response from the Israelites:

“We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, one that a great king of Israel built and finished. But because our ancestors angered the God of heaven, he gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar the Chaldean, king of Babylon, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.

“However, in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, King Cyrus issued a decree to rebuild this house of God. He even removed from the temple of Babylon the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to the temple in Babylon. Then King Cyrus gave them to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he had appointed governor, and he told him, ‘Take these articles and go and deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem. And rebuild the house of God on its site.’

“So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of the house of God in Jerusalem. From that day to the present it has been under construction but is not yet finished.”

Note how the Israelites started by saying whose authority they were under. It wasn’t Persia or any ruler of a region surrounding Jerusalem. No, they identified themselves as “servants of the God of heaven and earth.”

As we deal with matters in life, we would be well served to remember this. We are under God’s authority first and foremost…the God of heaven and earth. Yes, we might work under worldly authorities but none supersede the authority of the God Almighty, the Lord Most High.

The Israelites then went onto tell of how Jerusalem was first destroyed and how they were taken into exile. Note that it happened because their “ancestors angered the God of heaven” who in turn “gave them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar…king of Babylon, who destroyed this temple and deported the people to Babylon.”

But that wasn’t the end of the story. Note how what came next was conveniently left out by the enemies of Israel when they first petitioned King Artaxerxes. They hadn’t mentioned to the king that King Cyrus had “issued a decree to rebuild this house of God”, removing “from the temple of Babylon the gold and silver articles of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to the temple in Babylon.” Cyrus had also “gave them…Sheshbazzar whom he had appointed governor” and ordered him to “Take these articles and go and deposit them in the temple in Jerusalem. And rebuild the house of God on its site.”

Israel was saying in essence, “If the truth be known, we were rebuilding under the direction and permission of Persian leadership.”

And so King Darius, the current Persian king, ordered a search of the archives to see if Cyrus had issued the decree as stated and the claim was validated. This led Darius to send the following guidance to Tattenai:

“…stay away from there. Do not interfere with the work on this temple of God. Let the governor of the Jews and the Jewish elders rebuild this house of God on its site.”

But that wasn’t all…

For the enemies of Israel weren’t just to not get in the way of the temple construction. They were to provide the following to the “elders of the Jews”:

1. “Their expenses are to be fully paid out of the royal treasury, from the revenues of Trans-Euphrates, so that the work will not stop.”

2. “Whatever is needed—young bulls, rams, male lambs for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, and wheat, salt, wine and olive oil, as requested by the priests in Jerusalem—must be given them daily without fail, so that they may offer sacrifices pleasing to the God of heaven and pray for the well-being of the king and his sons.”

The enemy was now the provider of what God required. The enemy was now finding themselves where they didn’t want to admit they were…under the authority of the God of heaven and earth.

And they had better not violate the orders given. For if anyone did, the king decreed that they were to be impaled on a “beam…pulled from their house.” Further, their house would be “made a pile of rubble.”

Finally, and you have to love this, Darius acknowledged the God of all in his closing words saying, “May God, who has caused his Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to change this decree or to destroy this temple in Jerusalem.” In other words, God would pass judgment on anyone who violated the decree or sought to stop God’s house from being rebuilt.

The people of Israel, once stopped, waited patiently for God to act and bring victory over their enemies. And God delivered.

We read where the temple was “completed on the third day of the month Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius” which led the “people of Israel—the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles” to celebrate the “dedication of the house of God with joy”, offering “a hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred male lambs and, as a sin offering for all Israel, twelve male goats, one for each of the tribes of Israel.” They also “installed the priests in their divisions and the Levites in their groups for the service of God at Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses” and “on the fourteenth day of the first month, the exiles celebrated the Passover” as well as the “Festival of Unleavened Bread.”

What a joyous time for the people of Israel…a time they had waited for. An exiled people had come back around full circle, restored by God victorious over their enemies and restored with a new temple to worship and rejoice in.

Do you feel today like your enemies are holding the upper hand on you?

I encourage you to wait on the Lord and remain faithful to the God of heaven and earth who has a plan. In His time, He will use His authority to bring you to victory as you carry out His good and perfect direction, ensuring His holy and righteous way is carried out.

Do this and you, like Israel, will be brought to the place of worship and rejoicing in victory as God shows your enemies who is really in control.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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NEVER FORGET YOU ARE VICTORIOUS

2011-12-17T11:28:00.000-05:00

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.

In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the Lord, the God of Israel, they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the families and said, “Let us help you build because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.”

But Zerubbabel, Joshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel answered, “You have no part with us in building a temple to our God. We alone will build it for the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us.”

Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building. They bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.

At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes, they lodged an accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.

And in the days of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel and the rest of his associates wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. The letter was written in Aramaic script and in the Aramaic language.

Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows:

Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary, together with the rest of their associates—the judges, officials and administrators over the people from Persia, Uruk and Babylon, the Elamites of Susa, and the other people whom the great and honorable Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the city of Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates.

(This is a copy of the letter they sent him.)

To King Artaxerxes,
From your servants in Trans-Euphrates:

The king should know that the people who came up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem and are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city. They are restoring the walls and repairing the foundations.

Furthermore, the king should know that if this city is built and its walls are restored, no more taxes, tribute or duty will be paid, and eventually the royal revenues will suffer. Now since we are under obligation to the palace and it is not proper for us to see the king dishonored, we are sending this message to inform the king, so that a search may be made in the archives of your predecessors.
In these records you will find that this city is a rebellious city, troublesome to kings and provinces, a place with a long history of sedition. That is why this city was destroyed. We inform the king that if this city is built and its walls are restored, you will be left with nothing in Trans-Euphrates.

The king sent this reply:

To Rehum the commanding officer, Shimshai the secretary and the rest of their associates living in Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates:

Greetings.
The letter you sent us has been read and translated in my presence. I issued an order and a search was made, and it was found that this city has a long history of revolt against kings and has been a place of rebellion and sedition. Jerusalem has had powerful kings ruling over the whole of Trans-Euphrates, and taxes, tribute and duty were paid to them. Now issue an order to these men to stop work, so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order. Be careful not to neglect this matter. Why let this threat grow, to the detriment of the royal interests?

As soon as the copy of the letter of King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum and Shimshai the secretary and their associates, they went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and compelled them by force to stop.

Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Ezra 4

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Have you ever experienced a time when you seemed to come under attack when you set out to do something in service to the Lord? I know I have and I have always used this as an indicator that I am on the right track in fulfilling God’s will. For as soon as we try and accomplish any good and perfect thing that the Lord ordains, you can bet that Satan will be right there trying to do his best to undo it.

For an example of how this has been happening since well before we were born into this world, we can look at Chapter 4 of Ezra.

As Chapter 4 begins, we find the delivered people of Israel at work rebuilding the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. They had already rebuilt the altar and recommitted their hearts to worshipping God with praise and thanksgiving. Now they needed to reconstruct their house of worship.

Things seemed to be going well until “the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the Lord, the God of Israel.” We read where they “came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the families” asking if they could help build the temple, reinforcing their request by saying that they were seeking God and had been “sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.” Part of the statement was right but the entire story was not being told. The enemies were worshipping God but they were also worshipping other gods as well. God was just another god to them and certainly not THE true God, the God who commanded that there would be no other gods before Him.

And so “Zerubbabel, Joshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel” denied the request saying that they alone would build the temple for “the Lord, the God of Israel”, doing it “as King Cyrus, the king of Persia” commanded. The Israelites remembered the errors of their ancestors who had allowed others who had different worship standards to assimilate into their community and soon found their community corrupted by the people they allowed in. This led to God punishing accordingly as his people chose to worship false gods in direct disrespect to Him. This new generation of Israelites was determined to not repeat the mistakes of the past.

But the enemy, Satan, doesn’t like rejection. He will not give up.

And so was the case as the Israelites attempted to rebuild the Lord’s holy home.

Scripture tells us that the rejected enemies who lived around Jerusalem “set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building”, bribing “officials to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.”

Indeed, the enemies were not giving up. They chose to go to the top, to the current king of Persia, King Artaxerxes. They “lodged an accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem” in the form of a “letter…written in Aramaic script and in the Aramaic language.” The letter was penned by “Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary” on behalf of “the rest of their associates—the judges, officials and administrators over the people from Persia, Uruk and Babylon, the Elamites of Susa, and the other people whom the great and honorable Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the city of Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates.” Note in the letter the clever way the enemy used slander to convince the king that the temple construction should stop. Specifics slights included:

1. Referring to Jerusalem as a “rebellious and wicked city”.
2. Suggesting that “no more taxes, tribute or duty will be paid” if Jerusalem was rebuilt, hurting the “royal revenues.”
3. To slyly reinforce their slander, the enemies of Israel suggested that the king look back at the history of Israel where he would find that Jerusalem was indeed a “rebellious city” in the past with a “long history of sedition” which was “troublesome to kings and provinces.” In fact, they went onto suggest that this was why Jerusalem was “destroyed” in the first place.
4. Allowing Jerusalem to be rebuilt would leave the king with “nothing in Trans-Euphrates.”

Has this ever happened to you in life? Have you ever been under attack by someone who only tried to slander you, maybe using things in your past as a way to reinforce their accusations?

Maybe Jerusalem had been rebellious in the past. Does this mean they will be again?

Maybe we have made mistakes in our past? Does this mean we will repeat those mistakes?

Too often, people allow our past to cloud their present judgment of us. And this is exactly what happened to King Artaxerxes.

For we read in his reply that he followed the suggestions of the enemies of Israel and had a search made of documents that may have either reinforced or invalidated their accusations. The results of the search were not surprising for they found that Jerusalem had a “long history of revolt against kings” and was “a place of rebellion and sedition” with their own “powerful kings ruling over the whole of Trans-Euphrates” who collected the “taxes, tribute and duty” for themselves.

With this, King Artaxerxes ordered work on the temple to stop and the enemies of Israel wasted little time going to the “Jews in Jerusalem” and compelling them to stop by force. And so “the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill” but as we will see, the enemy might think it succeeded but God in the end will have the last say.

You see, we need to remember that we are victorious people. The enemy has already been defeated by Jesus and those in Christ Jesus gain the victory that He first won. Please keep that in mind the next time you come under attack. Through Jesus, you are ever victorious.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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COMING TO A PLACE OF PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING

2011-12-16T01:23:00.000-05:00

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Then they gave money to the masons and carpenters, and gave food and drink and olive oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre, so that they would bring cedar logs by sea from Lebanon to Joppa, as authorized by Cyrus king of Persia.

In the second month of the second year after their arrival at the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak and the rest of the people (the priests and the Levites and all who had returned from the captivity to Jerusalem) began the work. They appointed Levites twenty years old and older to supervise the building of the house of the Lord. Joshua and his sons and brothers and Kadmiel and his sons (descendants of Hodaviah) and the sons of Henadad and their sons and brothers — all Levites — joined together in supervising those working on the house of God.

When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests in their vestments and with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise the Lord, as prescribed by David king of Israel. With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord:

“He is good; His love toward Israel endures forever.”

And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away.

Ezra 3:7-13

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

The people of Israel had rebuilt the altar in Jerusalem and reestablished the foundation of worship in their hearts. Now they turned their attention to rebuilding the temple.

First, they had to get the materials and line up the labor to do the job. Scripture tells us they “gave money to the masons and carpenters, and gave food and drink and olive oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre, so that they would bring cedar logs by sea from Lebanon to Joppa, as authorized by Cyrus king of Persia”.

Then the Israelites, “Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak and the rest of the people (the priests and the Levites and all who had returned from the captivity to Jerusalem) began the work” in the “second month of the second year after their arrival at the house of God in Jerusalem.” The second month in the Hebrew calendar was called Ziv.

As the building started, the people of Israel “appointed Levites twenty years old and older to supervise the building of the house of the Lord” and “Joshua and his sons and brothers and Kadmiel and his sons (descendants of Hodaviah) and the sons of Henadad and their sons and brothers — all Levites — joined together in supervising those working on the house of God”. We read where “the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord” while “the priests in their vestments and with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise the Lord, as prescribed by David king of Israel.”

Notice where the people of Israel included rejoicing and worship as they build the house of the Lord. Scripture tells us that “with praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord” singing, “He is good; His love toward Israel endures forever.” All the people “gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.” Many of the “older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy.” Indeed, we read where “no one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away.”

The people of Israel had so much to be thankful for. God had delivered them from exile and returned them to Jerusalem. Now they could rebuild His temple and in doing so, reestablish their place of worship. It’s little wonder they lifted their hearts and sang with praise and thanksgiving, proclaiming the Lord’s goodness and love toward them.

We can certainly learn a great deal from the people of Israel when it comes to our life attitude. Just as God delivered His chosen people from hardship in the Old Testament days, He delivers His children, you and I, today. And we, just like the Israelites, should respond with nothing short of praise and thanksgiving to our Maker, Redeemer and Friend. We should ever take into account how richly blessed we are despite the trials we may be going through or have gone through in the past.

For when we live as people who remember God’s blessings, we live as people who can better endure the challenges of life when they come, knowing that our circumstances will only last for the moment but God’s love for us endures forever.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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REBUILDING THE FOUNDATION OF WORSHIP

2011-12-14T22:07:00.000-05:00

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, the people assembled together as one in Jerusalem. Then Joshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses the man of God. Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices. Then in accordance with what is written, they celebrated the Festival of Tabernacles with the required number of burnt offerings prescribed for each day. After that, they presented the regular burnt offerings, the New Moon sacrifices and the sacrifices for all the appointed sacred festivals of the Lord, as well as those brought as freewill offerings to the Lord. On the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord, though the foundation of the Lord’s temple had not yet been laid.

Ezra 3:1-6

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

The people of Israel, after a lengthy exile in Babylon, had returned home. God had promised their time away would not be forever. He would restore His chosen Israel and He was doing just that.

We read in our scripture passage that the seventh month, Tishri, had come and “the Israelites had settled in their towns before going to Jerusalem where they “assembled as one”. The people of Israel were to rebuild the temple of the Lord in the holy city where they gathered but not before they rebuilt the altar.

Scripture tells us that “Joshua…his fellow priests…Zerubbabel…and his associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses”. We’re told “they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings on it to the Lord, both the morning and evening sacrifices” before celebrating “the Festival of Tabernacles with the required number of burnt offerings prescribed for each day”. The people of Israel went on to present “regular burnt offerings, the New Moon sacrifices and the sacrifices for all the appointed sacred festivals of the Lord, as well as those brought as freewill offerings to the Lord” as well as “offer burnt offerings to the Lord” on the “first day of the seventh month”.

All this was performed although “the foundation of the Lord’s temple had not yet been laid” and despite the fear the Israelites had “of the peoples around them”.

So what are we to draw from this? Why was the altar constructed and all the observances performed before the temple was rebuilt?

I’m convinced it was because the Israelites needed to rebuild the foundation of true worship to the Lord in their hearts before they could ever start to rebuild the physical structure where they would worship Him.

Maybe we are like the people of Israel sometimes. We go through a time of exile in life when we endure hardship and difficulty and find that our sense of worship has faded. Then, once we emerge from our exiles, we find ourselves having to rebuild…rebuild our faith and rebuild our trust in the only One who can carry us through life.

And as we seek to rebuild, we like Israel, find that we need to start within our hearts first, rebuilding a foundation of true worship and reverence unto the God of all creation…the God who can and does make all things new.

The Israelites started to reestablish their relationship with God by returning to worship…and returning to the altar to do so. We would be well served to do likewise if we are in the place of rebuilding our relationship with Him.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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COMING HOME

2011-06-02T18:45:00.000-04:00

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing:

“This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:”

“‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them. And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.’”

Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. All their neighbors assisted them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuable gifts, in addition to all the freewill offerings.

Moreover, King Cyrus brought out the articles belonging to the temple of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his god. Cyrus king of Persia had them brought by Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah.

This was the inventory:

gold dishes 30
silver dishes 1,000
silver pans 29
gold bowls 30
matching silver bowls 410
other articles 1,000

In all, there were 5,400 articles of gold and of silver. Sheshbazzar brought all these along with the exiles when they came up from Babylon to Jerusalem.

Now these are the people of the province who came up from the captivity of the exiles, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had taken captive to Babylon (they returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to their own town, in company with Zerubbabel, Joshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum and Baanah):

The list of the men of the people of Israel:

the descendants of Parosh 2,172
of Shephatiah 372
of Arah 775
of Pahath-Moab (through the line of Jeshua and Joab) 2,812
of Elam 1,254
of Zattu 945
of Zakkai 760
of Bani 642
of Bebai 623
of Azgad 1,222
of Adonikam 666
of Bigvai 2,056
of Adin 454
of Ater (through Hezekiah) 98
of Bezai 323
of Jorah 112
of Hashum 223
of Gibbar 95
the men of Bethlehem 123
of Netophah 56
of Anathoth 128
of Azmaveth 42
of Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah and Beeroth 743
of Ramah and Geba 621
of Mikmash 122
of Bethel and Ai 223
of Nebo 52
of Magbish 156
of the other Elam 1,254
of Harim 320
of Lod, Hadid and Ono 725
of Jericho 345
of Senaah 3,630

The priests:

the descendants of Jedaiah (through the family of Jeshua) 973
of Immer 1,052
of Pashhur 1,247
of Harim 1,017

The Levites:

the descendants of Jeshua and Kadmiel (of the line of Hodaviah) 74

The musicians:

the descendants of Asaph 128
The gatekeepers of the temple:
the descendants of Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita and Shobai 139

The temple servants:

the descendants of Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth, Keros, Siaha, Padon, Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub, Hagab, Shalmai, Hanan, Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah, Besai, Asnah, Meunim, Nephusim, Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur, Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha, Barkos, Sisera, Temah, Neziah and Hatipha

The descendants of the servants of Solomon:

the descendants of
Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda,
Jaala, Darkon, Giddel,
Shephatiah, Hattil,
Pokereth-Hazzebaim and Ami

The temple servants and the descendants of the servants of Solomon 392
The following came up from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon and Immer, but they could not show that their families were descended from Israel:

The descendants of
Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda 652

And from among the priests:

The descendants of Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai (a man who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that name).

These searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. The governor ordered them not to eat any of the most sacred food until there was a priest ministering with the Urim and Thummim.

The whole company numbered 42,360, besides their 7,337 male and female slaves; and they also had 200 male and female singers. They had 736 horses, 245 mules, 435 camels and 6,720 donkeys.

When they arrived at the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, some of the heads of the families gave freewill offerings toward the rebuilding of the house of God on its site. According to their ability they gave to the treasury for this work 61,000 darics of gold, 5,000 minas of silver and 100 priestly garments.

The priests, the Levites, the musicians, the gatekeepers and the temple servants settled in their own towns, along with some of the other people, and the rest of the Israelites settled in their towns.

Ezra 1 and 2

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

I arrived in Djibouti, Africa, in March 2010 and began a tour of duty forward deployed from home. I had been on deployments before but never for the duration of that one. Things were busy but you couldn’t help but yearn for that day when you would return to the comfort of your home and the love of your family. It’s hard when you are taken away from the land and the people you love.

I can’t help but think my yearning for home was multiplied exponentially in the hearts and minds of the people of Israel as they say in exile in Babylon. You’ll recall that the people’s persistent sinful behavior had brought on the ire of God and so he sent the kingdom of Judah into the captivity of the Babylonians for seventy years…but He promised that they would be restored.

Now imagine if you were in their place. Imagine if you were taken captive and spent seventy years of your life in a foreign land. Maybe, depending on your age, you may not hold any hope in being able to return again. You would die exiled from your homeland. It had to be a difficult penalty to pay but it wasn’t as if Israel hadn’t been given every opportunity to repent and get right with God.

Life is about choices and Israel’s decision to disobey God in exchange for their own desires and the worship of false gods was their downfall.

What path are you walking today?

Well, the book of Ezra starts with good news for the people of Israel. For the seventy of years had passed and there had been some changes in Babylon. Out were the Babylonians. In were the Persians. New leadership and a new attitude, particularly in regard to the captive Israelites.

For we read where the Lord “moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm”. Cyrus wrote:

“This is what Cyrus king of Persia says:”

“‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them. And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.’”

Imagine what the people of Israel must have thought as they heard this proclamation. Maybe they couldn’t believe their ears. Maybe they remembered the promise of a God who keeps all his promises…and they were led to the place of worship and praise. Whatever the case, soon they would be free to return home.

And so scripture tells us that “the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem”. To that end, we read where “All their neighbors assisted them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuable gifts, in addition to all the freewill offerings.” Additionally, King Cyrus “brought out the articles belonging to the temple of the Lord, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his god”.

The people of Israel were returning with much of what was taken from the temple coming along with them. And when they arrived “at the house of the Lord in Jerusalem”, they didn’t just sit around and wonder what to do next or where to start to rebuild. No, we read where “some of the heads of the families gave freewill offerings toward the rebuilding of the house of God on its site”. They didn’t waste time coming back into a spirit of worship unto the One who had delivered them…again.

Yes, the Israelites returned home because of God’s grace, mercy and love…ready to make good on their second chance.

Where are you in your life? Has Satan carried you away from the Lord into a sin-induced exile…into a life captivated by worldly entrapments? Are you in need of God’s deliverance…of His mercy and grace?

The good news is that it is only a prayer away…a prayer that sincerely repents of the sins you have committed…a prayer that seeks sincere forgiveness and pardon.

For know God is ready to present you with a wonderful homecoming…a love-filled reunion with Him, culminating the time He has spent waiting and watching for you as He has anxiously awaited your return.

Do you need to come home?

Why wait another day in exile?

The Lord is waiting.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com

LOSING IT ALL

2011-05-31T22:43:00.000-04:00

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Nehushta daughter of Elnathan; she was from Jerusalem. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father had done.

At that time the officers of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon advanced on Jerusalem and laid siege to it, and Nebuchadnezzar himself came up to the city while his officers were besieging it. Jehoiachin king of Judah, his mother, his attendants, his nobles and his officials all surrendered to him.

In the eighth year of the reign of the king of Babylon, he took Jehoiachin prisoner. As the Lord had declared, Nebuchadnezzar removed the treasures from the temple of the Lord and from the royal palace, and cut up the gold articles that Solomon king of Israel had made for the temple of the Lord. He carried all Jerusalem into exile: all the officers and fighting men, and all the skilled workers and artisans—a total of ten thousand. Only the poorest people of the land were left.

Nebuchadnezzar took Jehoiachin captive to Babylon. He also took from Jerusalem to Babylon the king’s mother, his wives, his officials and the prominent people of the land. The king of Babylon also deported to Babylon the entire force of seven thousand fighting men, strong and fit for war, and a thousand skilled workers and artisans. He made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place and changed his name to Zedekiah.
Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, just as Jehoiakim had done. It was because of the Lord’s anger that all this happened to Jerusalem and Judah, and in the end he thrust them from his presence.

Now Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. He encamped outside the city and built siege works all around it. The city was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

By the ninth day of the fourth month the famine in the city had become so severe that there was no food for the people to eat. Then the city wall was broken through, and the whole army fled at night through the gate between the two walls near the king’s garden, though the Babylonians were surrounding the city. They fled toward the Arabah, but the Babylonian army pursued the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho. All his soldiers were separated from him and scattered, and he was captured.

He was taken to the king of Babylon at Riblah, where sentence was pronounced on him. They killed the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes. Then they put out his eyes, bound him with bronze shackles and took him to Babylon.

On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard, an official of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. He set fire to the temple of the Lord, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down. The whole Babylonian army under the commander of the imperial guard broke down the walls around Jerusalem. Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard carried into exile the people who remained in the city, along with the rest of the populace and those who had deserted to the king of Babylon. But the commander left behind some of the poorest people of the land to work the vineyards and fields.

The Babylonians broke up the bronze pillars, the movable stands and the bronze Sea that were at the temple of the Lord and they carried the bronze to Babylon. They also took away the pots, shovels, wick trimmers, dishes and all the bronze articles used in the temple service. The commander of the imperial guard took away the censers and sprinkling bowls—all that were made of pure gold or silver.

The bronze from the two pillars, the Sea and the movable stands, which Solomon had made for the temple of the Lord, was more than could be weighed. Each pillar was eighteen cubits high. The bronze capital on top of one pillar was three cubits high and was decorated with a network and pomegranates of bronze all around. The other pillar, with its network, was similar.

The commander of the guard took as prisoners Seraiah the chief priest, Zephaniah the priest next in rank and the three doorkeepers. Of those still in the city, he took the officer in charge of the fighting men, and five royal advisers. He also took the secretary who was chief officer in charge of conscripting the people of the land and sixty of the conscripts who were found in the city. Nebuzaradan the commander took them all and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah. There at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed.

So Judah went into captivity, away from her land.

Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to be over the people he had left behind in Judah. When all the army officers and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, Jaazaniah the son of the Maakathite, and their men. Gedaliah took an oath to reassure them and their men. “Do not be afraid of the Babylonian officials,” he said. “Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.”

In the seventh month, however, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood, came with ten men and assassinated Gedaliah and also the men of Judah and the Babylonians who were with him at Mizpah. At this, all the people from the least to the greatest, together with the army officers, fled to Egypt for fear of the Babylonians.

In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the year Awel-Marduk became king of Babylon, he released Jehoiachin king of Judah from prison. He did this on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month. He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honor higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king’s table. Day by day the king gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance as long as he lived.

2 Kings 24:8-20, 25:1-30

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

The last two chapters of Second Kings provide a sad ending to the people of Israel’s first occupancy of the Promised Land.

Consider what they had.

First of all, they were God’s chosen people. He had delivered them from captivity in Egypt and assisted them as they journeyed to their ultimate destination: The Promised Land.

Once across the Jordan, the Lord provided guidance and protection as Israel settled in Canaan…the land “flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:8). Once there, the Lord promised to watch over them and keep them in His care.

All Israel had to do was follow God’s will and obey His commandments.

Unfortunately, that didn’t happen and as we look at our scriptures today, we find the people of Israel being carried off into captivity by the Babylonians. And not just the people but all the treasures and riches of Jerusalem to include everything in the Holy Temple.

Judah indeed “went into captivity, away from her land”.

Once with everything, it now had nothing.

Why did this happen?

We can look at a companion book to Second Kings, Second Chronicles for the answer. Consider this passage from Chapter 26 (verses 15-17) of that book:

The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people and on his dwelling place. But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the Lord was aroused against his people and there was no remedy. He brought up against them the king of the Babylonians,

In order to have everything, the people of Israel only needed to give God their everything, just as He had freely given them. But instead, the people of Israel allowed their will, their desires, their wants and needs to supersede God’s will. Despite His efforts to warn them through His prophets, they instead chose to challenge God’s resolve...and His patience.

That was a big mistake.

The only hope Israel had was that the Lord had made a covenant promise to allow David and his ancestors to reign over Judah until the Messiah arrived. He promised to not wipe out Judah and thus a remnant would return 70 years after the Babylonian captivity. So even though Judah was carried off, they had something to look forward to…a day when they would once more experience deliverance sanctioned by God.

With all this, where are you in your relationship with God? Have you chosen to ignore Him, His will, His way, His word and commands? Has your life been all about your desires, your needs, your will, and your way?

If the answer to any or all of these is yes, you would be best suited to step back, reassess where you’re at in life and seriously consider surrendering yourself to God’s guidance. Don’t repeat the mistakes of the past and end up like the people of Israel…with the potential to have everything but opting to travel a path that leads you lose everything.

And if you don’t think it can happen, just take a look at what happened to Israel as they lost it all…and know that it could happen to you too.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com

WHAT GOD WON’T FORGIVE

2011-02-20T22:08:00.001-05:00

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.

In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, just as his predecessors had done. Pharaoh Necho put him in chains at Riblah in the land of Hamath so that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and he imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. Pharaoh Necho made Eliakim son of Josiah king in place of his father Josiah and changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt, and there he died. Jehoiakim paid Pharaoh Necho the silver and gold he demanded. In order to do so, he taxed the land and exacted the silver and gold from the people of the land according to their assessments.

Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah; she was from Rumah. And he did evil in the eyes of the Lord, just as his predecessors had done.

During Jehoiakim’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded the land, and Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years. But then he turned against Nebuchadnezzar and rebelled. The Lord sent Babylonian, Aramean, Moabite and Ammonite raiders against him to destroy Judah, in accordance with the word of the Lord proclaimed by his servants the prophets. Surely these things happened to Judah according to the Lord’s command, in order to remove them from his presence because of the sins of Manasseh and all he had done, including the shedding of innocent blood. For he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the Lord was not willing to forgive.

As for the other events of Jehoiakim’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? Jehoiakim rested with his ancestors. And Jehoiachin his son succeeded him as king.

The king of Egypt did not march out from his own country again, because the king of Babylon had taken all his territory, from the Wadi of Egypt to the Euphrates River.

2 Kings 23:31-37, 24:1-7

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In the 23rd Chapter of 2nd Kings, we read of the hard work invested by King Josiah to try and get Judah right with God. You’ll recall he went about destroying all places and items used to worship false gods. But despite his best interests, the Lord was still committed to correcting Judah by sending its people into exile with the Babylonians (2 Kings 23:26-27)

We read of Josiah’s passing in Chapter 23 and his place on the throne was assumed by his son Jehoahaz who proceeded to not follow in his father’s footsteps. No, we read where Jehoahaz “did evil in the eyes of the Lord” and this earned him a very short reign. For scriptures tell us that he fell into the hands of the Egyptians as “Pharaoh Necho put him in chains at Riblah in the land of Hamath so that he might not reign in Jerusalem”. The Egyptian pharaoh then “imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold” and “made Eliakim…king…and changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim”. Judah’s newest appointed leader complied with the pharaoh’s desires and “taxed the land”, exacting the “silver and gold from the people of the land according to their assessments”. In other words, Jehoiakim was nothing more than a puppet king for the Egyptians.

Of no surprise, we read where “Jehoiakim…did evil in the eyes of the Lord” over his 11 year reign, “just as his predecessors had done”. One of those predecessors, Manasseh, had already sealed Judah’s fate through the evil he promoted which included “the shedding of innocent blood”. His defiant attitude against the Lord and His commands brought on the Lord’s consternation which included sending “Babylonian, Aramean, Moabite and Ammonite raiders…to destroy Judah”. Indeed Judah’s days were numbered.

Of interest in our passage today are these words from Chapter 24, verse 4:

“…and the Lord was not willing to forgive.”

These words do and should strike us to the core. Is there any place worse to be than in a place where the Lord is unwilling to forgive us? I can’t think of any.

Now, you might say, “I don’t believe this passage because we serve a God who forgives everything…right? Our God is merciful and loving. Certainly, He would never turn from us, would He?

The answer is yes.

In fact, we need only go to the Gospel of Matthew and these words of Jesus:

“And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.” Matthew 12:31

So what exactly is blasphemy of the Spirit? We probably should know if it will result in God not forgiving us.

Are you prepared for the definition?

Blasphemy on its own is defined as defiant irreverence or blatantly disrespecting or disregarding. When we commit blasphemy against the Spirit, we are defiantly disregarding the lead of the Spirit in our lives. This includes willingly sinning when we’re being convicted otherwise. This is what got Judah in trouble…and puts us in a position of trouble as well.

So how can we get out of this mess? How can we atone for the many times we have blatantly disregarded the Spirit through our behavior that followed sinful desires?

There’s only one remedy and His name is Jesus.

We can’t save ourselves and this is why we need and have a Savior. Jesus died on the cross to pay the price for our sinfulness…to mediate the problem between us and God. He is the only One who can because He is the only One through which we can come to the Father (John 14:6). Jesus, the Way and the Truth and the Life, intercedes for us and prepares us for life eternal by washing us clean of our sins with the blood He shed on Calvary.

Do you stand forgiven today?

If you know Jesus as your personal Savior, then you are forgiven. You have an eternal hope already sealed through His life, death and resurrection.

If you don’t know Him, I plead for you to make that commitment right now. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). Don’t wait to claim your heavenly inheritance. Set your eyes, your heart, your mind, your soul on Jesus. He’s waiting to set you right with God this very minute.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com

GETTING RIGHT WITH GOD

2011-02-19T01:04:00.003-05:00

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. He went up to the temple of the Lord with the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the prophets—all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the Lord. The king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord—to follow the Lord and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant.

The king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the priests next in rank and the doorkeepers to remove from the temple of the Lord all the articles made for Baal and Asherah and all the starry hosts. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron Valley and took the ashes to Bethel. He did away with the idolatrous priests appointed by the kings of Judah to burn incense on the high places of the towns of Judah and on those around Jerusalem—those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations and to all the starry hosts. He took the Asherah pole from the temple of the Lord to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem and burned it there. He ground it to powder and scattered the dust over the graves of the common people. He also tore down the quarters of the male shrine prostitutes that were in the temple of the Lord, the quarters where women did weaving for Asherah.

Josiah brought all the priests from the towns of Judah and desecrated the high places, from Geba to Beersheba, where the priests had burned incense. He broke down the gateway at the entrance of the Gate of Joshua, the city governor, which was on the left of the city gate. Although the priests of the high places did not serve at the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem, they ate unleavened bread with their fellow priests.

He desecrated Topheth, which was in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, so no one could use it to sacrifice their son or daughter in the fire to Molek. He removed from the entrance to the temple of the Lord the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun. They were in the court near the room of an official named Nathan-Melek. Josiah then burned the chariots dedicated to the sun.

He pulled down the altars the kings of Judah had erected on the roof near the upper room of Ahaz, and the altars Manasseh had built in the two courts of the temple of the Lord. He removed them from there, smashed them to pieces and threw the rubble into the Kidron Valley. The king also desecrated the high places that were east of Jerusalem on the south of the Hill of Corruption—the ones Solomon king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the vile goddess of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the vile god of Moab, and for Molek the detestable god of the people of Ammon. Josiah smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles and covered the sites with human bones.

Even the altar at Bethel, the high place made by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin—even that altar and high place he demolished. He burned the high place and ground it to powder, and burned the Asherah pole also. Then Josiah looked around, and when he saw the tombs that were there on the hillside, he had the bones removed from them and burned on the altar to defile it, in accordance with the word of the Lord proclaimed by the man of God who foretold these things.

The king asked, “What is that tombstone I see?”

The people of the city said, “It marks the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and pronounced against the altar of Bethel the very things you have done to it.”

“Leave it alone,” he said. “Don’t let anyone disturb his bones.” So they spared his bones and those of the prophet who had come from Samaria.

Just as he had done at Bethel, Josiah removed all the shrines at the high places that the kings of Israel had built in the towns of Samaria and that had aroused the Lord’s anger. Josiah slaughtered all the priests of those high places on the altars and burned human bones on them. Then he went back to Jerusalem.

The king gave this order to all the people: “Celebrate the Passover to the Lord your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.” Neither in the days of the judges who led Israel nor in the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah had any such Passover been observed. But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was celebrated to the Lord in Jerusalem.
Furthermore, Josiah got rid of the mediums and spiritists, the household gods, the idols and all the other detestable things seen in Judah and Jerusalem. This he did to fulfill the requirements of the law written in the book that Hilkiah the priest had discovered in the temple of the Lord. Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did—with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.

Nevertheless, the Lord did not turn away from the heat of his fierce anger, which burned against Judah because of all that Manasseh had done to arouse his anger. So the Lord said, “I will remove Judah also from my presence as I removed Israel, and I will reject Jerusalem, the city I chose, and this temple, about which I said, ‘My Name shall be there.’”

As for the other events of Josiah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?

While Josiah was king, Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt went up to the Euphrates River to help the king of Assyria. King Josiah marched out to meet him in battle, but Necho faced him and killed him at Megiddo. Josiah’s servants brought his body in a chariot from Megiddo to Jerusalem and buried him in his own tomb. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and anointed him and made him king in place of his father.

2 Kings 23:1-30

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In Chapter 22, we read where the Book of the Law was found while repairs were being made to the Temple. Amazingly, God’s word was stashed away somewhere and not actively being studied or taught. No wonder the people of Judah had become so distant from the Lord and His will!

Too often, we do the same thing. We allow God’s word to sit out of sight and go day-to-day without opening it and seeking to know what God’s will is for us. Instead, we follow our own desires and wants. It’s all about our will not God’s.

Well, as we have seen through God’s word to the Southern Kingdom of Judah, God doesn’t look favorably on those who decide to ignore His way and His commands. The Northern Kingdom of Israel had been attacked and taken over by Assyria. The Southern Kingdom would soon fall to Babylon. Sometimes, God has to take drastic measures to capture our attention and correct us, ever seeking to show us how we can get right with Him.

How can we get right with Him before He has to resort to discipline? Our scriptures today from Chapter 23 of 2nd Kings offer us the answers.

First, we need to get back into God’s word.

The first thing that happened after the Book of the Law was found was that it was read. Our scriptures tell us that Josiah went to the “temple of the Lord with the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the prophets” and when he had them all gathered, he “read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the Lord”. The only way the people of Judah were going to get right with God was to get right with His word…the word that instructs and comforts and convicts.

So what do we do after we get back into the word of God?

We need to renew our covenant relationship with Him.

After reading the Book of the Law to all his people, Josiah “stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord”, vowing to “follow the Lord and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul”. And after he had done this, his people did likewise.

Once we begin to once again read God’s word and expose ourselves to His commands, statutes and decrees, we need to recommit ourselves to obediently follow God’s expectations and principles…not with just a part of us…but rather with all our heart and all our soul.

When we do this, something awesome happens. We want to change the way we’re living because the Holy Spirit, invited back in during the covenant renewal process, leads us that way. We’re prompted to right our wrongs…to replace sin with righteous living.

Consider what happened in Judah after the Book of Law was read and the covenant with God renewed:

1. Josiah ordered Hilkiah, the priests and the doorkeepers to “remove from the temple of the Lord all the articles made for Baal and Asherah and all the starry hosts”, burning them “outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron Valley”.

2. Josiah “did away with the idolatrous priests appointed by the kings of Judah to burn incense on the high places of the towns of Judah and on those around Jerusalem—those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations and to all the starry hosts”.

3. Josiah “took the Asherah pole from the temple of the Lord to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem and burned it there”, grounding it to powder and scattering the “dust over the graves of the common people”.

4. Josiah “tore down the quarters of the male shrine prostitutes that were in the temple of the Lord, the quarters where women did weaving for Asherah”.

5. Josiah “brought all the priests from the towns of Judah and desecrated the high places, from Geba to Beersheba, where the priests had burned incense”.

6. Josiah “broke down the gateway at the entrance of the Gate of Joshua, the city governor, which was on the left of the city gate”.

7. Josiah “desecrated Topheth, which was in the Valley of Ben Hinnom, so no one could use it to sacrifice their son or daughter in the fire to Molek”.

8. Josiah removed from the entrance to the temple of the Lord the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun”…then “burned the chariots dedicated to the sun”.

9. Josiah “pulled down the altars the kings of Judah had erected on the roof near the upper room of Ahaz, and the altars Manasseh had built in the two courts of the temple of the Lord”, smashing them to pieces and throwing the rubble into the Kidron Valley.

10. Josiah “desecrated the high places that were east of Jerusalem on the south of the Hill of Corruption—the ones Solomon king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the vile goddess of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the vile god of Moab, and for Molek the detestable god of the people of Ammon”.

11. Josiah “smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles and covered the sites with human bones”.

12. Josiah demolished “the altar at Bethel, the high place made by Jeroboam…who had caused Israel to sin”.

13. Josiah “saw the tombs that were there on the hillside, he had the bones removed from them and burned on the altar to defile it”.

14. Josiah “removed all the shrines at the high places that the kings of Israel had built in the towns of Samaria and that had aroused the Lord’s anger”.

15. Josiah “slaughtered all the priests of those high places on the altars and burned human bones on them”.

16. Josiah ordered “all the people” to “celebrate the Passover to the Lord your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant”, something that hadn’t been observed “in the days of the judges who led Israel nor in the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah”.

17. Josiah “got rid of the mediums and spiritists, the household gods, the idols and all the other detestable things seen in Judah and Jerusalem”.

Indeed, Josiah worked hard to get things right with God and he is honored through God’s word for his efforts. For the scriptures say that “neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turned to the Lord as he did—with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses”.

So how are we doing in this regard? Have we made the necessary changes required to get right with God? Or have we read the word, vowed to return to the person God wants us to be, but then decide that surrendering all we desire in exchange for what God desires was more than we were willing to do. We either just completely refuse to change or decide to just change in part and expect that it will be good enough.

It isn’t.

For ask yourself where we would be today if God had chosen to not give us His all? What if He decided to sacrifice some for us but set the bar at His only Son Jesus…unwilling to sacrifice Him for anything?

We wouldn’t have the comfort, peace and assurance of eternal life…that’s for sure.

Friends, the Lord showed us the standard when He surrendered Jesus for us so we could be liberated from our past sins. Through His actions, He confirmed the prophecy of His holy word, renewed His covenant with us, and directed us to change and become new creations. The least we could do is surrender back to him fully all that we are…body, mind, and soul.

It’s the only way we can ever begin to get right with God. And it’s the only way we’ll continue to remain right with Him.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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CONVICTION THROUGH THE WORD

2011-02-18T00:56:00.000-05:00

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to ourchristianwalk@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. His mother’s name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed completely the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.

In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent the secretary, Shaphan son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to the temple of the Lord. He said: “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest and have him get ready the money that has been brought into the temple of the Lord, which the doorkeepers have collected from the people. Have them entrust it to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple. And have these men pay the workers who repair the temple of the Lord— the carpenters, the builders and the masons. Also have them purchase timber and dressed stone to repair the temple. But they need not account for the money entrusted to them, because they are honest in their dealings.”

Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord.” He gave it to Shaphan, who read it. Then Shaphan the secretary went to the king and reported to him: “Your officials have paid out the money that was in the temple of the Lord and have entrusted it to the workers and supervisors at the temple.” Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.

When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes. He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Akbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant: “Go and inquire of the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord’s anger that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.”

Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Akbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to speak to the prophet Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the New Quarter.

She said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people, according to everything written in the book the king of Judah has read. Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and aroused my anger by all the idols their hands have made, my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.’ Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people—that they would become a curse and be laid waste—and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I also have heard you, declares the Lord. Therefore I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.’”

So they took her answer back to the king.

2 Kings 22

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

At the end of Hezekiah’s reign, we’re made aware that trouble awaits the Southern Kingdom of Judah. They would pay the price for their disobedient attitude toward God’s expectations as set forth through His commands.

But how did the people of Israel get to such a place where they were so far astray?

Today’s scripture offers the answer.

For as Chapter 22 of 2 Kings opens, we read about Judah’s newest king, Josiah. Beginning his 31 year reign at the age of eight, Josiah “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed completely the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left”.

Scripture tells us that in his 18th year of his reign, Josiah ordered his secretary Shaphan to go to “the temple of the Lord” with guidance for “Hilkiah the high priest:. He was to tell Hilkiah to “get ready the money that has been brought into the temple of the Lord, which the doorkeepers have collected from the people” and entrust that money to “the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple”. Those building supervisors were to “pay the workers who repair the temple of the Lord— the carpenters, the builders and the masons” as well as “purchase timber and dressed stone to repair the temple”. And so Shaphan set out to carry out Josiah’s desires.

When Shaphan met with Hilkiah, he received something unexpected. For Hilkiah told him, “I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord.” We read that he gave it to Shaphan who read it before returning to Josiah to file a report.

Upon going to Josiah, Shaphan made the following report:

“Your officials have paid out the money that was in the temple of the Lord and have entrusted it to the workers and supervisors at the temple.”

And then he followed his report with saying, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book” before reading from it to the king.

When Josiah heard the words from the Book of the Law, he became extremely distressed and “tore his robes” Why? Because the words in the Book of the Law served as condemnation for the blatant sinfulness of the people of Israel. Josiah knew they were in trouble.

And so he sent Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Shaphan, Akbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah to “Go and inquire of the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord’s anger that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.”

Did you hear those words? “Great is the Lord’s anger that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.”

The Book of Law containing everything that God expected in the way of righteous behavior was hidden away in the temple and discovered. Why was God’s word just put in storage? What good was God’s word when it wasn’t being used?

The same holds true today. People are openly sinning against God while God’s word sits in storage. The Bible is the world’s all time best selling book but sadly too many people have one but let it sit on the shelf or the coffee table to collect dust. Like Israel, they don’t place a priority on the word and so they have no idea what way they are supposed to live. Instead of living according to God’s devices, they live under their own…or Satan’s…or both.

The good news for us is that we can do what Judah was about to do. Return to the word of God and allow it to convict us toward being the kid of men and women that God wants us to be.

Josiah sure was convicted…and his attitude showed it. In return, the Lord blessed him and delayed the coming attack and exile until after Josiah passed.

Friends, the Lord is waiting to do the same thing for us…all we need to do is open our bibles and study from God’s word. It will instruct us, guide us, inspire us, comfort us, and ultimately sanctify us when we respond in obedience to the conviction it brings…just as Josiah did.

So where do you stand in your relationship with the word of God? Do you read your bibles daily? Weekly? Monthly? Annually? Never? The only answer that works for God is that you read His word every day. Then and only then, can we be assured we’ll be walking in the His will and way, trading in darkness for light. Choosing to do otherwise leads us to the wrath of God who doesn’t take lightly to anyone who rejects His word and way.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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CHOOSE OBEDIENCE

2011-02-16T21:24:00.003-05:00

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to ourchristianwalk@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother’s name was Hephzibah. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal and made an Asherah pole, as Ahab king of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them. He built altars in the temple of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem I will put my Name.” In the two courts of the temple of the Lord, he built altars to all the starry hosts. He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced divination, sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger.

He took the carved Asherah pole he had made and put it in the temple, of which the Lord had said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my Name forever. I will not again make the feet of the Israelites wander from the land I gave their ancestors, if only they will be careful to do everything I commanded them and will keep the whole Law that my servant Moses gave them.” But the people did not listen. Manasseh led them astray, so that they did more evil than the nations the Lord had destroyed before the Israelites.

The Lord said through his servants the prophets: “Manasseh king of Judah has committed these detestable sins. He has done more evil than the Amorites who preceded him and has led Judah into sin with his idols. Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I am going to bring such disaster on Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle. I will stretch out over Jerusalem the measuring line used against Samaria and the plumb line used against the house of Ahab. I will wipe out Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. I will forsake the remnant of my inheritance and give them into the hands of enemies. They will be looted and plundered by all their enemies; they have done evil in my eyes and have aroused my anger from the day their ancestors came out of Egypt until this day.”

Moreover, Manasseh also shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem from end to end—besides the sin that he had caused Judah to commit, so that they did evil in the eyes of the Lord.

As for the other events of Manasseh’s reign, and all he did, including the sin he committed, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? Manasseh rested with his ancestors and was buried in his palace garden, the garden of Uzza. And Amon his son succeeded him as king.

Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years. His mother’s name was Meshullemeth daughter of Haruz; she was from Jotbah. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as his father Manasseh had done. He followed completely the ways of his father, worshiping the idols his father had worshiped, and bowing down to them. He forsook the Lord, the God of his ancestors, and did not walk in obedience to him.

Amon’s officials conspired against him and assassinated the king in his palace. Then the people of the land killed all who had plotted against King Amon, and they made Josiah his son king in his place.

As for the other events of Amon’s reign, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? He was buried in his tomb in the garden of Uzza. And Josiah his son succeeded him as king.

2 Kings 21

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Hezekiah’s passing put an end to years of Judah returning to living in ways that were good in the sight of the Lord, breaking the evil ways of his predecessor, his father Ahaz. Unfortunately, his righteous and good works would not continue.

This is because his son Manasseh, who assumed the throne for fifty five years, “did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites”. Like those who had erred before him, he “rebuilt the high places…erected altars to Baal…made an Asherah pole…bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them…built altars in the temple of the Lord…sacrificed his own son in the fire…practiced divination…sought omens…consulted mediums and spiritists”…and “shed so much innocent blood that he filled Jerusalem from end to end”.

Yes, Manasseh chose to do “much evil in the eyes of the Lord” and brought the Lord’s anger.

God had been patient with the apostate people He chose to allow to inhabit His Promised Land. He understood they were sinners and prone to failure. But when the Israelites had chosen time and time and time again to turn from Him and worship false gods and idols, directly breaking His commandment to “have no other gods before Him”, He had enough. First the Northern Kingdom of Israel felt His wrath…now it was the Southern Kingdom of Judah’s turn.

Friends, how often have we broken the Lord’s commands in our own lives? Have we not behaved in a way similar to the people of Israel, repeating sins over and over and over, never seeming to choose to correct our wrongs and pursue God’s desires over our own?

We would be well served to pay close attention to what happened when the people of Israel chose to not obey…because judgment can and will come on us as well.

So how did God respond to the actions of the people of Judah under Manasseh’s leadership?

He sent the following message “through His servants the prophets”:

“Manasseh king of Judah has committed these detestable sins. He has done more evil than the Amorites who preceded him and has led Judah into sin with his idols. Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I am going to bring such disaster on Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle. I will stretch out over Jerusalem the measuring line used against Samaria and the plumb line used against the house of Ahab. I will wipe out Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. I will forsake the remnant of my inheritance and give them into the hands of enemies. They will be looted and plundered by all their enemies; they have done evil in my eyes and have aroused my anger from the day their ancestors came out of Egypt until this day.”

There’s little doubt that God was fed up and was going to resort to extreme measures to try and teach the people of Israel to live obediently in accordance with His will and word. Judah was soon going to be routed by Babylon who would take the kingdom’s riches as well as its people away for 70 years into exile.

The sad part is that it could have been so different if the people of Israel and Judah had just decided to choose obedience over defiance…compliance over non-conformity.

So what are we to do with this passage?

Hopefully, we’re led to carefully reflect our life attitudes and how we are responding to God’s commands. This honest assessment should be done with the knowledge that the Lord expects us to turn from our sinful desires and toward His will. Choosing to do otherwise will open the door for the Lord to administer consequences to correct our inability to correct ourselves.

Life isn’t meant to be hard unless we want to make it that way. Deciding to live in disobedience will result in hardship. You can bank on it.

Conversely, when we choose to live obediently and allow the Lord to guide us through anything that might come our way, we experience a life filled with peace and hope and joy, reveling in the goodness and greatness of our Lord.

What way will you choose?

The Lord is waiting and watching.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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SEEING THE GLASS HALF FULL

2011-02-15T21:42:00.001-05:00

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to ourchristianwalk@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

At that time Marduk-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of Hezekiah’s illness. Hezekiah received the envoys and showed them all that was in his storehouses—the silver, the gold, the spices and the fine olive oil—his armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.

Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked, “What did those men say, and where did they come from?”

“From a distant land,” Hezekiah replied. “They came from Babylon.”

The prophet asked, “What did they see in your palace?”

“They saw everything in my palace,” Hezekiah said. “There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them.”

Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord: The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your predecessors have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the Lord. And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”

“The word of the Lord you have spoken is good,” Hezekiah replied. For he thought, “Will there not be peace and security in my lifetime?”

As for the other events of Hezekiah’s reign, all his achievements and how he made the pool and the tunnel by which he brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? Hezekiah rested with his ancestors. And Manasseh his son succeeded him as king.

2 Kings 20:12-21

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Have you ever faced a difficult situation and found yourself wondering how you should feel about it?

Today, I received a phone call and was told I was being tasked with an important responsibility that would take me from my place of work and my family for six weeks. In a moment’s notice, all my plans were disrupted…my future professional and personal schedule placed in total disarray.

My immediate reaction was not positive as I wasn’t asked whether I would like to do this task or not. Rather, I was hand-selected to do it…expected to just accept the assignment without argument. My thoughts were centered on the following:

“Why me?”

“Isn’t there someone else who is less busy than I am available?”

“They picked me only because they know I am a person who doesn’t complain and just gets the job done when asked.”

Note that none of these musings were positive. No…my attitude was definitely misaligned.

I was looking at the glass half-empty.

It’s easy to do if we’re not careful. Difficulty and sudden change is hard to deal with. We don’t handle being jarred from our comfort zone very well I’m afraid.

The southern kingdom of Judah was soon to be jarred from their comfort zone, taken into exile by the Babylonians for 70 years with all the riches in Jerusalem. Little did Hezekiah know this as he received “letters and a gift” from “Marduk-Baladan…king of Babylon” by way of special envoys sent to Jerusalem. Hezekiah, grateful for the caring gesture in the aftermath of his illness, proceeded to give the envoys a tour, showing them “all that was in his storehouses—the silver, the gold, the spices and the fine olive oil—his armory and everything found among his treasures”. In fact, scripture tells us that “there was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them”.

The Babylonian envoys had to be impressed as they left Jerusalem to return home and make reports to their king.

After they departed, we read where the prophet Isaiah came to Hezekiah with some questions asking:

“What did those men say, and where did they come from?”

“What did they see in your palace?”

Hezekiah went on to tell Isaiah that the representatives from Babylon had seen “everything in (the) palace”. Indeed, he had shown them everything.

Upon hearing this, Isaiah broke the bad news from God to Judah’s king:

“Hear the word of the Lord: The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your predecessors have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left…and some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”

Wow! Can you imagine hearing this? All of Judah’s riches and its people were going to be captured and taken away to a distant land. Nothing was going to be left in Jerusalem. It’s enough to make anyone think the worst and start to complain about the difficulties to come. It may even tempt a person to question God and His coming actions.

But look at what Hezekiah says, for his words are incredible.

“The word of the Lord you have spoken is good”…For he thought, “Will there not be peace and security in my lifetime?”

At first blush, we could read this as Hezekiah being selfish.

“Why should Isaiah’s words upset me?”…he could have been thinking. “I’ll have peace and security as long as I will be alive. The Babylonians can come and do what they wish after that.”

After looking at this a little closer, I’m not sure this is what Hezekiah was thinking. It didn’t fit his character.

No, I think that Hezekiah’s words reflected a positive outlook on a difficult situation. In stead of adopting a negative, glass half empty attitude, Judah’s king instead chose to focus on the positive. He saw the glass half full. Yes, hard times were coming but until then there would be peace and security in Judah…and that was a good word spoken by the Lord.

Hezekiah could have counted curses but instead chose to count blessings.

Friends, we have a lot to learn from this. We can easily sit around and begrudge our circumstances and do it to the hilt. But is this really constructive and productive?

It isn’t.

For when we adopt this attitude, we only find ourselves wallowing in the midst of our own self pity. And that’s not where God wants us to be.

Instead, the Lord would want us to try and find the good in whatever challenge He brings. Maybe just maybe, He is ready to bless you through a trial, drawing you closer to Him and teaching you an important life lesson. Maybe just maybe, He is going to use you in the midst of hardship to be a blessing to someone else. And maybe just maybe, He’s seeking to draw you ever closer into your relationship with Him. For when things are going well, we have a tendency to forget God…forgetting that He is always richly blessing us in equal measure whether in good times or bad.

In closing, what is your life outlook?

Do you see the glass half empty or half full?

My hope is that if you always see the negative in your life’s circumstances, this word from 2nd Kings will be a timely one for you.

Stay encouraged always…in good times and bad…and commit yourself to adopting a glass half full attitude. It’s the one the Lord expects.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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THE LORD’S VALENTINES TO YOU

2011-02-14T22:41:00.002-05:00

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to ourchristianwalk@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
1 John 4:12-12

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:9-13

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Today is a special day…Valentine’s Day…a day to celebrate love.

Typically, the day is seen as a day for couples to revel in their love for one another but what about those who are single, divorced, or widowed. Do they not have anything to revel in?

The world might say “no” but the Lord would disagree with that outlook. This is because there is never a time when anyone is unloved when it comes to the One who is the very essence of love. And so not only on Valentine’s Day but every day, the Lord sends His love to us…He sends valentines as found in His word. Today, I’ll touch on three special ones.

First, one of His most famous love messages:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Valentine’s Day is often punctuated by special love gifts carefully selected for the one loved. In the case of all of us, God gave us the greatest gift ever given in His only Son Jesus because he loved us deeply. And this awesome gift of love spawned an even greater gift…the gift of hope found in the promise of eternal life granted to those who believe and trust in Jesus as Savior…as the perfect, unblemished Lamb of God who was sacrificed on Calvary’s cross and paid the price for our sins.

And this leads to message number 2:

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
1 John 4:12-12

Yes…God so loved us that He sent His Son Jesus as an atoning sacrifice for our sins…and in doing so, He wrote the definition for love. And so since we have love’s definition…or in other words, we know what love means…then we are to apply it to the way we live our lives and love one another. We need not seek to figure out what love is. We only need to look to Jesus and we will know. And if we ask for Jesus to send His love to us, we will find ourselves loving in a way that is self-sacrificial.

And this leads to message number 3:

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:9-13

What is the greatest form of love? The kind that finds one willing to lay down their life for another. And when we choose to love as Jesus loved, then we’re committing ourselves to love this way for it’s the way He loved. And the good news is that we will remain in His love as long as we remain in Him by learning and obeying His commands…commands given to us out of love from the One who wishes for us to live lives filled with righteousness and holiness…lives that will find our joy complete.

The Lord’s message is clear all through the scriptures. He loves us…and loves us dearly.

Can you hear the Lord today? He is saying to you and me, “Happy Valentines Day! I love you more than you know.”

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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IT'S OVER WHEN THE LORD SAYS IT'S OVER

2011-02-13T22:52:00.001-05:00

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to ourchristianwalk@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.”

Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord, “Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him: “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord. I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.’”

Then Isaiah said, “Prepare a poultice of figs.” They did so and applied it to the boil, and he recovered.

Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, “What will be the sign that the Lord will heal me and that I will go up to the temple of the Lord on the third day from now?”

Isaiah answered, “This is the Lord’s sign to you that the Lord will do what he has promised: Shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or shall it go back ten steps?”

“It is a simple matter for the shadow to go forward ten steps,” said Hezekiah. “Rather, have it go back ten steps.”

Then the prophet Isaiah called on the Lord, and the Lord made the shadow go back the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.

2 Kings 20:1-11

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As the 19th chapter of 2nd Kings drew to an end, we saw Assyria’s King Sennacherib pay the price for his blasphemous treatment of God as he tried to get Hezekiah and Judah to surrender to him. You’ll recall that the Lord foretold Sennacherib’s death by the sword before his sons killed him, showing us clearly that the Lord has the say when life will end. He made us. He placed us in His creation. And He will make the call when our life will end.

If you don’t believe that we are His and under His control, then look at our scripture passage from the 20th chapter of 2nd Kings. As the chapter opens, we find Hezekiah ill and “at the point of death”. And even if Hezekiah felt like he was dying, he couldn’t be sure…at least until the Lord entered in. For we read where “Isaiah…went to him and said, ‘This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.’”

How would you feel if you received a word such as this?

It happens every day, although it might not always come from the Lord. Doctors are always making predictions on life, informing their patients on how long they can expect to survive before their afflictions or injuries cause them to die. I’m sure the responses and reactions to this kind of news vary across a wide range of emotions from anguish to anger. As we look at Hezekiah, we find him deep in despair from the news.

So what does Hezekiah do in the midst of learning he will die?

Our scripture tells us he wept bitterly, “turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord” saying, “Remember, Lord, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” Hezekiah could have questioned the Lord. He could have cursed at the Lord. But he didn’t. Instead, he went before Him with the hope the Lord would remember the good things he had done. Hezekiah knew deep down inside he was a sinner but hoped that his faithfulness toward God would be the thing remembered most.

It was.

For we read where the Lord sent another message to Isaiah to give to Hezekiah. He said, “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord. I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.’”

Wow! What a reversal of fortune! One moment, death was imminent. The next, fifteen more years of life were granted. Not only that but Judah would be saved from the hand of the Assyrians, gaining new life just like Hezekiah.

Indeed, it isn’t over unless the Lord says it’s over.

Well, Isaiah had a “poultice of figs” prepared which was applied to Hezekiah’s boil and just as God had promised, he recovered. The Lord even sent a sign confirming that Hezekiah was going to live causing a shadow to regress by 10 steps in Hezekiah’s sight.

And with that, Hezekiah, not by any act of his own but rather by the mercy, grace and love of God.

Friends, each and every day, we experience the saving grace of Jesus through God’s mercy on us…that although we are sinners, we are saved through the atoning blood of the Savior. And it’s that assurance that buoys us up in hope, peace and joy because when the Lord does decide to say our life is over, he’s only referring to our worldly life. For an eternal life, far better than the one we live on earth, awaits us…a life when we will live in the midst of the One who is the way and the truth and the life. (John 14:6)

Why should we worry about and fear death?

For the One who holds our very worldly future in His hands is also the One who holds our eternal future. And for those who place their faith and belief in Christ Jesus, that eternal future is already set. Alleluia!

Yes…the Lord says when it is over but He also says that it restarts for all eternity. Do you have your eternal future secured? If not, give your life to Jesus today and don’t delay. There’s no guarantee that there will be tomorrow if you don’t have a Savior. You can’t save yourself.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

Send any prayer requests to ourchristianwalk@aol.com

TAKE IT TO THE LORD

2011-02-13T00:42:00.004-05:00

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to ourchristianwalk@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

When the field commander heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish, he withdrew and found the king fighting against Libnah.

Now Sennacherib received a report that Tirhakah, the king of Cush, was marching out to fight against him. So he again sent messengers to Hezekiah with this word: “Say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let the god you depend on deceive you when he says, ‘Jerusalem will not be given into the hands of the king of Assyria.’ Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely. And will you be delivered? Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my predecessors deliver them—the gods of Gozan, Harran, Rezeph and the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar? Where is the king of Hamath or the king of Arpad? Where are the kings of Lair, Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah?”

Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord: “Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God.

“It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands. They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. Now, Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, Lord, are God.”

Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I have heard your prayer concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria. This is the word that the Lord has spoken against him:

“‘Virgin Daughter Zion despises you and mocks you.
Daughter Jerusalem tosses her head as you flee.
Who is it you have ridiculed and blasphemed?
Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride?
Against the Holy One of Israel!
By your messengers you have ridiculed the Lord.
And you have said, “With my many chariots I have ascended the heights of the mountains, the utmost heights of Lebanon.
I have cut down its tallest cedars, the choicest of its junipers.
I have reached its remotest parts, the finest of its forests.
I have dug wells in foreign lands and drunk the water there.
With the soles of my feet I have dried up all the streams of Egypt.”
“‘Have you not heard? Long ago I ordained it. In days of old I planned it; now I have brought it to pass, that you have turned fortified cities into piles of stone.
Their people, drained of power, are dismayed and put to shame.
They are like plants in the field, like tender green shoots, like grass sprouting on the roof, scorched before it grows up.
“‘But I know where you are and when you come and go and how you rage against me.
Because you rage against me and because your insolence has reached my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will make you return by the way you came.’
“This will be the sign for you, Hezekiah:
“This year you will eat what grows by itself, and the second year what springs from that.
But in the third year sow and reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
Once more a remnant of the kingdom of Judah will take root below and bear fruit above.
For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors.
“The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.
“Therefore this is what the LORD says concerning the king of Assyria:
“‘He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here. He will not come before it with shield or build a siege ramp against it.
By the way that he came he will return; he will not enter this city, declares the Lord.
I will defend this city and save it, for my sake and for the sake of David my servant.’”

That night the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies! So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there.

One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisrok, his sons Adrammelek and Sharezer killed him with the sword, and they escaped to the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son succeeded him as king.

2 Kings 19:8-37

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In the early verses of 2 Kings, Chapter 19, the Lord sends a simple message to Judah’s King Hezekiah through the prophet Isaiah.

“Do not be afraid of what you have heard—those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Listen! When he hears a certain report, I will make him want to return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword.”

As Chapter 19 continues, we see in our scriptures that the Lord’s promise comes to fruition.

Our passage starts out with more of the same rhetoric from Asyria’s King Sennacherib. Continuing to try and sway Hezekiah and the people of Judah to surrender to him, Sennacherib sent the following message:

“Say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let the god you depend on deceive you when he says, ‘Jerusalem will not be given into the hands of the king of Assyria.’ Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely. And will you be delivered? Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my predecessors deliver them—the gods of Gozan, Harran, Rezeph and the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar? Where is the king of Hamath or the king of Arpad? Where are the kings of Lair, Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah?”

If only Sennacherib had known of what the Lord had in store as stated through Isaiah.

So what did Hezekiah do when he received Sennacherib’s message?

He turned to the Lord…an action that reflected Hezekiah learning from a prior mistake. You’ll recall that earlier Hezekiah had received a warning from Assyria’s king and sought to pay him off. There was no consulting God then and as we know, Sennacherib only came after Hezekiah and Judah with more fervor after receiving the riches from Hezekiah.

This time around, Hezekiah went straight to the Lord as he should have the first time.

How many times have you made this mistake? You’re up against difficulty and rely on your own decision and will to address the problem, never considering that you should consult God. And in those times, you learn that things didn’t work out when you tried to be in control. I’m convinced God allows us to try to go it alone so we can understand just how much we can’t do it without Him. I know I’ve had to learn this important lesson…just as Hezekiah did.

Back to the scriptures where we find Hezekiah in the “temple of the Lord” where he spread out the message from Sennacherib before the Lord. Then Hezekiah prayed saying:

“Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Give ear, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God. It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands. They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. Now, Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, Lord, are God.”

Note the important aspects of this prayer for they show us the proper ways we should come before the Lord when we call on Him:

1. Hezekiah acknowledged God’s sovereignty.

“…you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.”

Indeed we serve a God who has promised that nothing is impossible through Him. This is because He is omnipotent and reigns over everything. He made it so He is the Master of it. We can never forget this in life…that God is the Master over everything in it.

2. Hezekiah asked for the Lord to enter into relationship with him and the problem at hand.

“Give ear, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God.”

What an awesome assurance and peace we can gain from knowing the all powerful Creator God who is over all the kingdoms of the earth loves and cares about us enough to listen to our pleas. He’s only a prayer away.

3. Hezekiah knew that the Lord could and would deliver him from his problem, doing so to reveal His glory.

“Now, Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, Lord, are God.”

Knowing that we have an Almighty God who cares for us so dearly leads to a faith and hope that He will care for us in times of need, every ready to display His power and show His glory. What a peace we have when we fully understand this…the peace that Hezekiah surely gained in his time of trouble.

So how did God respond to Hezekiah’s plea? He sent the following message via His prophet Isaiah:

“I have heard your prayer concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria. This is the word that the Lord has spoken against him:

“‘Virgin Daughter Zion despises you and mocks you.
Daughter Jerusalem tosses her head as you flee.
Who is it you have ridiculed and blasphemed?
Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride?
Against the Holy One of Israel!
By your messengers you have ridiculed the Lord.
And you have said, “With my many chariots I have ascended the heights of the mountains, the utmost heights of Lebanon.
I have cut down its tallest cedars, the choicest of its junipers.
I have reached its remotest parts, the finest of its forests.
I have dug wells in foreign lands and drunk the water there.
With the soles of my feet I have dried up all the streams of Egypt.”
“‘Have you not heard? Long ago I ordained it. In days of old I planned it; now I have brought it to pass, that you have turned fortified cities into piles of stone.
Their people, drained of power, are dismayed and put to shame.
They are like plants in the field, like tender green shoots, like grass sprouting on the roof, scorched before it grows up.
“‘But I know where you are and when you come and go and how you rage against me.
Because you rage against me and because your insolence has reached my ears, I will put my hook in your nose and my bit in your mouth, and I will make you return by the way you came.’
“This will be the sign for you, Hezekiah:
“This year you will eat what grows by itself, and the second year what springs from that.
But in the third year sow and reap, plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
Once more a remnant of the kingdom of Judah will take root below and bear fruit above.
For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors.
“The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.
“Therefore this is what the LORD says concerning the king of Assyria:
“‘He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here. He will not come before it with shield or build a siege ramp against it.
By the way that he came he will return; he will not enter this city, declares the Lord.
I will defend this city and save it, for my sake and for the sake of David my servant.’”

Sennacherib made a fatal mistake in mocking God. The king who thought he was greater than all was about to experience the power of the One who was and is truly greater than all.

For we read that during the night, “the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp”…a startling wake up call for the survivors who woke up amidst dead bodies the next morning. This led to Sennacherib leaving the camp and returning to Nineveh…a town you’ll recall from the account of Jonah’s life. It was here that the Lord made good on His promise…and Sennacherib lost his life at the hands of his two sons while worshiping in the temple to a false god. The king of Assyria who had mocked the God who gave him life now fell at the hands of that same God’s judgment.

Hezekiah’s prayers were answered…all because he chose to take it to the Lord. And the good news is that the same can happen for us. Thanks be to God for that certitude.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

Send any prayer requests to ourchristianwalk@aol.com

STRENGTH TO CARRY ON

2011-02-12T01:17:00.001-05:00

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to ourchristianwalk@aol.com In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the Lord. He sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz. They told him, “This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the moment of birth and there is no strength to deliver them. It may be that the Lord your God will hear all the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule the living God, and that he will rebuke him for the words the Lord your God has heard. Therefore pray for the remnant that still survives.”

When King Hezekiah’s officials came to Isaiah, Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master, ‘This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid of what you have heard—those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Listen! When he hears a certain report, I will make him want to return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword.’”

2 Kings 19:1-7

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Have you ever been in distress?

I think we all have.

There are just those times in life when things are in turmoil and disruption. Normal seems to be a thing of the past never to return. Hope gives way to despair. Confidence to fear.

So what do we do when we find ourselves in this situation…in need of strength to carry on?

The opening of verses in 2nd Kings, Chapter 19, offer an answer.

You’ll recall in Chapter 18 that Assyria’s King Sennacherib had defeated the northern kingdom of Israel, moving the Israelites to Assyria. He then began attacking the fortified cities of Judah, setting his sights on Jerusalem.

Sennacherib sent one of his field commanders to meet with Judah’s King Hezekiah but instead got three of Hezekiah’s servants (Eliakim, Shebna and Joah). Sennacherib’s representative proceeded to try and tempt Judah to give up, questioning the trustworthiness of Hezekiah and even God. The hope was that Judah would just surrender to Assyria without a fight.

Well, the three servants returned to Hezekiah and reported everything the field commander had said. Their words caused Hezekiah so much distress that he “tore his clothes…put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the Lord”. He also sent “Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and the leading priests…to the prophet Isaiah” for guidance and counsel. Dressed in sackcloth, the servants told Isaiah:

“This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the moment of birth and there is no strength to deliver them. It may be that the Lord your God will hear all the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule the living God, and that he will rebuke him for the words the Lord your God has heard. Therefore pray for the remnant that still survives.”

Did you see the keys to handling times when you don’t feel strong enough to handle life’s challenges…like children being at the moment of birth without enough strength to deliver them?

Here’s key 1: You have to first acknowledge that you don’t possess the strength to make it on your own.

We too often seem to want to be in control of things. Rather than turn to God and seek His help, we think we can handle our problems without Him. Essentially, we fail to trust God because we place our trust in ourselves.

So how does that work out?

Well, God allows us to make decisions like this and will let us try and trust in ourselves so He can show us that we’ll fail every time when we do. And we’ll stubbornly try and try and try to do it solo until we wear out when we can’t go it alone anymore. This is when we seek help and more often than not, we seek it from the Lord, finally acknowledging that we can’t get through our circumstances without His power and might.

This leads to key 2: Once you see God as your strength and the sole source of deliverance, then you place your full trust in Him to manage things.

After he went into the temple, Hezekiah addressed God by saying:

“It may be that the Lord your God will hear all the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule the living God, and that he will rebuke him for the words the Lord your God has heard. Therefore pray for the remnant that still survives.”

Hezekiah wasn’t turning from God and trusting in his own ability to defeat Sennacherib. No, he was showing his faith that God heard the mocking words of Sennacherib’s field commander and would take action.

Two important keys with an equally important result when we exercise them right.

For when we understand our lack of strength to make it through difficulty and trust in God’s ability to do all things, we find ourselves in a place where God will reward.

In the case of King Hezekiah, we read where his servants had went to Isaiah and received the following report…a report that underscores the comfort we can gain when we fully trust God and His ability to do all things…even rescue us from distress:

Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master, ‘This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid of what you have heard—those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me. Listen! When he hears a certain report, I will make him want to return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword.’”

There was no need to fear the Assyrians. For God doesn’t take kindly to being disrespected and was ready to take action against the Assyrians for the way they blasphemed God.

God will also attack our problems in life to show us that there is nothing beyond the work of His almighty hands. We need only follow Hezekiah’s lead and bring our distress to Him. For when we trust Him in this way, we truly come to understand that He and He alone grants us the strength to carry on.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

Send any prayer requests to ourchristianwalk@aol.com

BE ON THE LOOKOUT

2011-02-10T23:36:00.002-05:00

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com

In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

In the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. So Hezekiah king of Judah sent this message to the king of Assyria at Lachish: “I have done wrong. Withdraw from me, and I will pay whatever you demand of me.” The king of Assyria exacted from Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. So Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace.

At this time Hezekiah king of Judah stripped off the gold with which he had covered the doors and doorposts of the temple of the Lord, and gave it to the king of Assyria.

The king of Assyria sent his supreme commander, his chief officer and his field commander with a large army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. They came up to Jerusalem and stopped at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman’s Field. They called for the king; and Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went out to them.

The field commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah: “‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: On what are you basing this confidence of yours? You say you have the counsel and the might for war—but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel against me? Look, I know you are depending on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff, which pierces the hand of anyone who leans on it! Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who depend on him. But if you say to me, “We are depending on the Lord our God”—isn’t he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, “You must worship before this altar in Jerusalem”?

“‘Come now, make a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses—if you can put riders on them! How can you repulse one officer of the least of my master’s officials, even though you are depending on Egypt for chariots and horsemen? Furthermore, have I come to attack and destroy this place without word from the Lord? The Lord himself told me to march against this country and destroy it.’”

Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, and Shebna and Joah said to the field commander, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic, since we understand it. Don’t speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall.”

But the commander replied, “Was it only to your master and you that my master sent me to say these things, and not to the people sitting on the wall—who, like you, will have to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine?”

Then the commander stood and called out in Hebrew, “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. He cannot deliver you from my hand. Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the Lord when he says, ‘The Lord will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’

“Do not listen to Hezekiah. This is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then each of you will eat fruit from your own vine and fig tree and drink water from your own cistern, until I come and take you to a land like your own—a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey. Choose life and not death!
“Do not listen to Hezekiah, for he is misleading you when he says, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah? Have they rescued Samaria from my hand? Who of all the gods of these countries has been able to save his land from me? How then can the Lord deliver Jerusalem from my hand?”

But the people remained silent and said nothing in reply, because the king had commanded, “Do not answer him.”

Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went to Hezekiah, with their clothes torn, and told him what the field commander had said.

2 Kings 18:13-37

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Jesus, talking to those who were trying to kill Him had this to say to His adversaries:

“You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44

Indeed, Satan surely is a deceiver and delights in nothing less than tempting God’s people to turn toward his desires. He is relentless in this and is a master at exploiting our weaknesses as well as using others to be instruments of his dirty work. We simply must always be on guard and prepared to ward off the work of the devil when he tries to have his way in and around us.

Today’s scripture is a classic example of how Satan can get enter into our life circumstances and turn us upside down if we’re not careful. And this just doesn’t happen to those who are new in their faith. It happens just as much to the experienced, mature believer as even the most righteous and prized in God’s eyes can come under assault.

Point in case is Hezekiah. We were introduced to him at the beginning of 2nd Kings, chapter 18, as a king who did what was right in the sight of God. In return, God was with him and led him to great success.

But things began to shift as Chapter 18 continues. In our scripture passage, we read where “Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them” in the “fourteenth year of King Hezekiah’s reign”. This placed a lot of pressure on Hezekiah who knew what had happened to Israel and thought his kingdom was next to fall.

So what did Judah’s king do?

The proper thing to do would have been to draw near to God and consult Him on what should be done. But when we’re pressurized, we often don’t think straight and tend to make rash and improper decisions. Satan is a master at whipping our lives into a frenzy and leaving us disoriented…our bearing on the Lord temporarily lost. This is when he starts to have his way with us.

In the case of Hezekiah, he decided the way to thwart Sennacherib’s advances was to pay him off. He admitted he had erred in not paying before this, thus buying Sennacherib’s mercy on Judah but now sought to make restitution. Hezekiah offered to pay whatever the Assyrian king demanded as long as the he withdrew and ceased the attack. What was the price? Scripture tells us that the “king of Assyria exacted from Hezekiah…three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold”. To pay, Hezekiah “gave him all the silver that was found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace” and also “stripped off the gold with which he had covered the doors and doorposts of the temple of the Lord”. All this was given to Sennacherib.

So that was it…right? Hezekiah had paid what Sennacherib had asked for. The king surely would keep his end of the deal and return to Assyria…right?

It didn’t quite happen that way.

For instead of returning to Assyria, Sennacherib “sent his supreme commander, his chief officer and his field commander with a large army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah”. They called for Hezekiah but instead got “Eliakim…the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and Joah…the recorder” who went out to them.

Isn’t this just how Satan is? He attacks us and convinces us to do something we think might get us out of the trouble he enticed us into. And then when we do that something, we only find that we have spiraled further down and away from the Lord. The further the devil gets away from God the more he can have his way with us.

So Sennacherib had no intentions of giving up and used his field commander to do his work. What was that work? To try and break the will of the people of Judah so they would surrender to him and turn Judah over. Note the ways that Satan works through the field commander to try and get Israel to give in and then ask yourself if these same ploys aren’t applied toward us in life:

First, criticism. Judah is mocked as being weak, without allies, and unable to stand on their own against Assyria. No one could possibly help them…not Egypt and not God. The temptation here was to be drawn into an attitude of hopelessness and then surrender.

Does this not happen to us as well when we find ourselves up against trouble? Satan can creep in and make us feel like we’re alone and without help…isolated and hopeless. With this, we are led we have just one option: give up.

Second, temptation. The field commander encourages Judah to “make a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria”. What was the proposed deal? Two thousand horses.

Again, does Satan try and offer us options to help us get out of trouble? He does but his suggestions are sin-ridden and, if followed, only drag us further into trouble than before.

Third, lies. The field commander tries to spin the attacks of Assyria as being instituted by the Lord. If he could get Judah to believe this, then they would see their fate as part of God’s plan.

How often does Satan feed us lies to get us to sin, ever seeking us to believe that the Lord would delight in us being content so we should pursue sinful desires that make us feel good.

Fourth, character assassination. The field commander tried to attack the people’s faith in their leader, denigrating Hezekiah before the people. The people are told that Hezekiah could not deliver them and so they may as well just turn themselves over to Assyria.

How good is Satan at getting us to believe we’re worthless and unable to do anything right or good? He is constantly seeking to attack our character and wishes to shackle us with guilt and shame…inadequacy and embarrassment.

Fifth, false promises. The field commander tells the people of Judah that if they would make peace with the Assyrians then they would get to “eat fruit from (their) own vine and fig tree and drink water from (their) own cistern” before being taken away to “a land like your own—a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey”.

After reading these words from the Assyrian field commander, I couldn’t help but remember this passage:

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:1-5

And the rest was history. Adam and Eve ate on the advice of the serpent and sin entered the world. All because of a false promise.

Satan is very good at this ploy and we better be ever aware of it. He could say any of the following:

“Take this drug and it will take away all your problems.”

“A little affair won’t hurt. You deserve a little pleasure and no one will ever find out about it.”

“You work hard for your money. If you want to gamble, then so be it.”

Unfortunately, a lot of people are falling for his temptations.

So what are we to do with this passage?

My hope is that we are reminded how Satan never ceases to pursue us and try to turn us from God’s will and way. We need to always be on the lookout…but even more so, we need to keep a grip on the Lord and hold on so tight that we can’t be led astray. God will always shed light on Satan’s darkest schemes if we seek His counsel and guidance.

And that assurance is what offers us hope for success when it comes to avoiding sin and living in the righteousness God expects.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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THE KEYS TO SPIRITUAL SUCCESS

2011-02-09T20:55:00.002-05:00

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done. He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan)

Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. He held fast to the Lord and did not stop following him; he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses. And the Lord was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook. He rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. From watchtower to fortified city, he defeated the Philistines, as far as Gaza and its territory.

In King Hezekiah’s fourth year, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria marched against Samaria and laid siege to it. At the end of three years the Assyrians took it. So Samaria was captured in Hezekiah’s sixth year, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel. The king of Assyria deported Israel to Assyria and settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River and in towns of the Medes. This happened because they had not obeyed the Lord their God, but had violated his covenant—all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded. They neither listened to the commands nor carried them out.

2 Kings 18:1-12

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As I enter into each day and pray for the Lord to use me as an instrument of His will, I often find myself ministering to those He brings my way. Often, those seeking to find spiritual bearing will ask questions that have a common theme: What’s the key to spiritual success?

Answers to that question as well as an example to reference can be found in our passage from 2nd Kings, chapter 18.

There we are introduced to Judah’s newest king, Hezekiah.

Now we learn right away that Hezekiah was the son of Ahaz, who was described as one who “did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God” as he “followed the ways of the kings of Israel and even sacrificed his son in the fire”. He also “offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree”. Taken in sum, his actions were like “the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites”. (2 Kings 16:2-4)

So what could we expect from the son of this wicked king? More of the same?

Thank goodness the answer is “no”.

For we read that Hezekiah was quite different. Assuming the throne when he was twenty-five years old and reigning in Jerusalem 29 years, he “did was right in the eyes of the Lord”, removing the high places, smashing the sacred stones, and cutting down the Asherah poles. He also “broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it while calling it Nehushtan”.

What kind of reputation did these actions give Hezekiah?

Scripture tells us that “there was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him”.

Wouldn’t you like to be known that way in your life? As someone who was seen as upright and true, serving the Lord so fervently and loyally that there was no one like you among all the people who had come before?

We can learn a lot by looking at Hezekiah and how he lived. For he showed us important keys to spiritual success.

What were the keys?

1st…”Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel”.

We can’t hope to stand out and be set apart by the Lord if we don’t first place our trust in Him. When we do this, we rely on Him for everything and don’t see anything in life that is not possible in and through Him. We discover like Paul, that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13) when we fully place our faith, hope and trust in Him.

2nd…Hezekiah “held fast to the Lord”.

This world we live in, where Satan seeks to destroy those who step out without the full armor of God, ever seeks to get us to conform to its ways and desires. We’re constantly tempted and enticed to turn from the ways of righteousness toward sin. How do we stave off these attacks? We hold fast to the One who will always bring us through any attack victorious. Once we place our trust in the Lord, we need to hold onto Him and hold on tight. When we do, He’ll never let go of us. Only we can break the bond by losing our grip. Spiritual success results when we don’t allow that to happen.

3rd…Hezekiah “did not stop following” the Lord and “kept the commands” He had given.

Once we place our trust in the Lord and hold on fast to Him, we need to consistently follow His way and keep His commands, ever striving to meet His expectations. When we do this, we ever seek to do what He wants us to do and His will literally becomes our own. And when His will is fully ours, we act, talk and think like the Lord because our actions are ordained by Him.

What was the result of Hezekiah’s commitment to holiness?

Scripture tells us that “the Lord was with him” and as a result, Hezekiah “was successful in whatever he undertook”. Spiritual success translated over to success in everything that Hezekiah did.

Contrast this with the people of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. They “had not obeyed the Lord…but had violated his covenant”…neither listening to His commands nor carrying them out.

And what did they earn for their unfaithful, sinful behavior?

Destruction.

For we read where “Shalmaneser king of Assyria marched against Samaria and laid siege to it” and after “three years”, the Assyrians captured it, deporting the people of Israel to Assyria, never to return.

How well are you doing spiritually? Are you a success?

If not, the good news is that you can find your way there. Just follow the way of Hezekiah. Trust in the Lord, keep hold of Him with all your might, and make His will your own, following His commands and expectations. Then and only then, can you assure yourself that God is with you and will make you a success in whatever you do.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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WE CAN’T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS

2011-02-08T21:50:00.001-05:00

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Kuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took over Samaria and lived in its towns. When they first lived there, they did not worship the Lord; so he sent lions among them and they killed some of the people. It was reported to the king of Assyria: “The people you deported and resettled in the towns of Samaria do not know what the god of that country requires. He has sent lions among them, which are killing them off, because the people do not know what he requires.”

Then the king of Assyria gave this order: “Have one of the priests you took captive from Samaria go back to live there and teach the people what the god of the land requires.” So one of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria came to live in Bethel and taught them how to worship the Lord.

Nevertheless, each national group made its own gods in the several towns where they settled, and set them up in the shrines the people of Samaria had made at the high places. The people from Babylon made Sukkoth Benoth, those from Kuthah made Nergal, and those from Hamath made Ashima; the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire as sacrifices to Adrammelek and Anammelek, the gods of Sepharvaim. They worshiped the Lord, but they also appointed all sorts of their own people to officiate for them as priests in the shrines at the high places. They worshiped the Lord, but they also served their own gods in accordance with the customs of the nations from which they had been brought.

To this day they persist in their former practices. They neither worship the Lord nor adhere to the decrees and regulations, the laws and commands that the Lord gave the descendants of Jacob, whom he named Israel. When the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites, he commanded them: “Do not worship any other gods or bow down to them, serve them or sacrifice to them. But the Lord, who brought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm, is the one you must worship. To him you shall bow down and to him offer sacrifices. You must always be careful to keep the decrees and regulations, the laws and commands he wrote for you. Do not worship other gods. Do not forget the covenant I have made with you, and do not worship other gods. Rather, worship the Lord your God; it is he who will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.”

They would not listen, however, but persisted in their former practices. Even while these people were worshiping the Lord, they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their ancestors did.

2 Kings 17:24-41

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In my last devotional, we read the following words from the scriptures:

“…they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their ancestors, who did not trust in the LORD their God. They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless.” 2 Kings 17:14-15

From this, I posed the question, “Are we worthless?” with the answer depending on what we worship in life. If we worship anything outside of God, then we worship the worthless and in turn, as the scriptures assert, become worthless ourselves. Conversely, when we worship the one true God…our Maker and Creator…then we become rich in Him and all He is.

So what is the second worse thing to not worshipping God at all and instead choosing something else to place our faith, trust and hope in?

It’s when we choose to pick and choose when we worship God and when we don’t.

Reference the people of Israel in today’s scripture.

As we saw in the scripture from earlier in chapter 17 of 2nd Kings, the Northern Kingdom of Israel had angered God so badly as a result of their idolatry that the Lord gave them over to the Assyrians. Shalmaneser, Assyria’s king, “brought people from Babylon, Kuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites.” We read that the new inhabitants of the Northern Kingdom “did not worship the Lord” and so God “sent lions among them” which “killed some of the people”. The news of this was “reported to the king of Assyria” who gave the order for one of the captured Samarian priests to “go back to live” in Samaria to “teach the people what the god of the land requires”.

And that’s what happened.

So did the relocated Assyrian people abide by the priest’s teaching?

Not exactly.

For our passage tells us that “each national group made its own gods in the several towns where they settled, and set them up in the shrines the people of Samaria had made at the high places. The people from Babylon made Sukkoth Benoth, those from Kuthah made Nergal, and those from Hamath made Ashima; the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire as sacrifices to Adrammelek and Anammelek, the gods of Sepharvaim. They worshiped the Lord, but they also appointed all sorts of their own people to officiate for them as priests in the shrines at the high places. They worshiped the Lord, but they also served their own gods in accordance with the customs of the nations from which they had been brought.” And we further learn that “they persist in their former practices” to this day as “their children and grandchildren continue to do as their ancestors did”.

So what about us today? Do we act just like the Assyrians…worshipping the Lord while at the same time serving others gods, like money or lust or pride or celebrity or any other number of things that could draw our devotion away from the only One who is worthy of it? Or maybe, just maybe, we decide to not adhere to God’s commands and expectations or pick and choose when we do and don’t want to comply?

This scripture passage does far more than show us what first led the people of Israel and then the people of Assyria who moved into Samaria to go wrong and incur God’s wrath. It also calls us to be introspective in looking at our own lives and how we’re living in the sight of the Lord.

For way too often, we, like the people of the Old Testament, decide that we want it both ways. We want to worship and follow God’s will but we also want the ways of the world and its enticements that lure us to turn from God to them.

Friends we can’t have it both ways. We have to choose.

God gave up everything for us when He allowed His only Son to be crucified on Calvary’s cross.

How willing are we to give up everything for Him, surrendering our own desires to pursue His desire for us?

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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ARE WE WORTHLESS?

2011-02-07T23:31:00.003-05:00

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk@aol.com.

In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.

Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up to attack Hoshea, who had been Shalmaneser’s vassal and had paid him tribute. But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea was a traitor, for he had sent envoys to So king of Egypt, and he no longer paid tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore Shalmaneser seized him and put him in prison. The king of Assyria invaded the entire land, marched against Samaria and laid siege to it for three years. In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and deported the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River and in the towns of the Medes.

All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods and followed the practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before them, as well as the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced. The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city they built themselves high places in all their towns. They set up sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree. At every high place they burned incense, as the nations whom the Lord had driven out before them had done. They did wicked things that aroused the Lord’s anger. They worshiped idols, though the Lord had said, “You shall not do this.”The Lord warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers: “Turn from your evil ways. Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your ancestors to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets.”

But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God. They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. They imitated the nations around them although the Lord had ordered them, “Do not do as they do.”

They forsook all the commands of the Lord their God and made for themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves, and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts, and they worshiped Baal. They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sought omens and sold themselves to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger.

So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence. Only the tribe of Judah was left, and even Judah did not keep the commands of the Lord their God. They followed the practices Israel had introduced. Therefore the Lord rejected all the people of Israel; he afflicted them and gave them into the hands of plunderers, until he thrust them from his presence.
When he tore Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam son of Nebat their king. Jeroboam enticed Israel away from following the Lord and caused them to commit a great sin. The Israelites persisted in all the sins of Jeroboam and did not turn away from them until the Lord removed them from his presence, as he had warned through all his servants the prophets. So the people of Israel were taken from their homeland into exile in Assyria, and they are still there.

2 Kings 17:1-23

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Through chapter 16 of 2 Kings, we read about the sinful behavior of King Ahaz, the king of Judah who “did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord” and instead “followed the ways of the kings of Israel and even sacrificed his son in the fire, engaging in the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites”. He also “offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree”. (2 Kings 16:2-4)

Meanwhile, the Northern Kingdom of Israel was under the reign of Pekah for the first 12 years of Ahaz’s reign. Pekah was no better than Ahaz. He too “did evil in the eyes of the Lord” and “did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam” (2 Kings 15:28). Indeed, Pekah was wicked. He didn’t ascend to power by birthright. No, he took the throne by assassinating Pekahiah.

Ironically, Pekah would be assassinated in the 12th year of Ahaz’s reign by Hoshea. Through this action, we can figure out that Hoshea is evil too and indeed “did evil in the eyes of the Lord”.

How would the Lord deal with this evil behavior?

Enter the Assyrians led by King Shalmaneser.

Scripture tells us that Hoshea had paid tribute to Assyria annually but had stopped doing so. Instead, Israel’s king had “sent envoys to So king of Egypt”. Seeing Hoshea as a traitor, “Shalmaneser seized him and put him in prison” before invading “the entire land”, marching “against Samaria”, and laying “siege to it for three years”. This led to “the king of Assyria” capturing Samaria in the ninth year of Hoshea’s reign and deporting the Israelites to Assyria, settling “them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River and in the towns of the Medes”. The Northern Kingdom was gone.

What led to their demise?

Scripture gives us the answer:

“All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods and followed the practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before them, as well as the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced. The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city they built themselves high places in all their towns. They set up sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree. At every high place they burned incense, as the nations whom the Lord had driven out before them had done. They did wicked things that aroused the Lord’s anger. They worshiped idols, though the Lord had said, “You shall not do this.” The Lord warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers: “Turn from your evil ways. Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your ancestors to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets.” But they would not listen and were as stiff-necked as their ancestors, who did not trust in the Lord their God. They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless. They imitated the nations around them although the Lord had ordered them, “Do not do as they do.” They forsook all the commands of the Lord their God and made for themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves, and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts, and they worshiped Baal. They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sought omens and sold themselves to do evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger.”

Indeed, “the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence”. Judah would not be far behind them as they too chose to “not keep the commands of the Lord their God”.

Fast forward to where our world is today. Are we repeating the mistakes of the past?

We so often choose to worship the wrong things, disregarding God who expects us to worship only Him. We continue to choose sin over righteousness even though the Lord has commanded us to turn from our evil ways. Too many times we fail to observe God’s commands and decrees. We stubbornly decide to follow our will and become as stiff-necked as the Israelites who failed to put their trust in the Lord.

Where does this put us?

Our scripture tells us that the Israelites became worthless because they chose to worship idols that were worthless.

So are we worthless too?

Perhaps. For if we choose to worship the things of the world, the answer is “yes”. We become as worthless as the things we choose to worship outside of God…just as the people of Israel. And this is no place that anyone should want to be…rejected and looked down on by the Lord.

Conversely, when we choose to worship God and God alone, then we become rich…rich in spirit…rich in wisdom…rich in inheritance through His Son Jesus. We become people of great worth, valued greatly by the only One who can grant value through abundant blessings.

Where do you stand?

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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SELLING OUT

2010-11-21T22:42:00.003-05:00

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

In the second year of Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel, Jotham son of Uzziah king of Judah began to reign. He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother’s name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father Uzziah had done. The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the temple of the Lord.

As for the other events of Jotham’s reign, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? (In those days the Lord began to send Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah against Judah.) Jotham rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David, the city of his father. And Ahaz his son succeeded him as king.

In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah, Ahaz son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign. Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God. He followed the ways of the kings of Israel and even sacrificed his son in the fire, engaging in the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. He offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree.
Then Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem and besieged Ahaz, but they could not overpower him. At that time, Rezin king of Aram recovered Elath for Aram by driving out the people of Judah. Edomites then moved into Elath and have lived there to this day.

Ahaz sent messengers to say to Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria, “I am your servant and vassal. Come up and save me out of the hand of the king of Aram and of the king of Israel, who are attacking me.” And Ahaz took the silver and gold found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace and sent it as a gift to the king of Assyria. The king of Assyria complied by attacking Damascus and capturing it. He deported its inhabitants to Kir and put Rezin to death.

Then King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria. He saw an altar in Damascus and sent to Uriah the priest a sketch of the altar, with detailed plans for its construction. So Uriah the priest built an altar in accordance with all the plans that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus and finished it before King Ahaz returned. When the king came back from Damascus and saw the altar, he approached it and presented offerings on it. He offered up his burnt offering and grain offering, poured out his drink offering, and splashed the blood of his fellowship offerings against the altar. As for the bronze altar that stood before the Lord, he brought it from the front of the temple—from between the new altar and the temple of the Lord—and put it on the north side of the new altar.

King Ahaz then gave these orders to Uriah the priest: “On the large new altar, offer the morning burnt offering and the evening grain offering, the king’s burnt offering and his grain offering, and the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their grain offering and their drink offering. Splash against this altar the blood of all the burnt offerings and sacrifices. But I will use the bronze altar for seeking guidance.” And Uriah the priest did just as King Ahaz had ordered.
King Ahaz cut off the side panels and removed the basins from the movable stands. He removed the Sea from the bronze bulls that supported it and set it on a stone base. He took away the Sabbath canopy that had been built at the temple and removed the royal entryway outside the temple of the Lord, in deference to the king of Assyria.

As for the other events of the reign of Ahaz, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? Ahaz rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. And Hezekiah his son succeeded him as king.

2 Kings 15:32-38, 16:1-20

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

When faced with challenges in life do we trust the Lord or do we sell out to the world and either place our faith in others or in ourselves?

That’s the fundamental question that our scripture raises for us as we continue to examine the reign of kings and in particular today, the kings of Judah.

As our passage opens, we read about Jotham, son of Uzziah, who assumed the throne at the age of 25 and reigned in Jerusalem for 16 years. We don’t learn a whole lot about Jotham except that he did what was right as his father had done and “rebuilt the Upper Gate of the temple of the Lord”. He also erred in that he failed to remove the high places and so the “people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there”. Jotham would die and be laid to rest “with his ancestors” as he was “buried with them in the City of David”. His son Ahaz would succeed him as king.

So would Ahaz continue the good reign of his father?

Not quite.

For as we read in Chapter 16, verses 2 through 4, that Ahaz “did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord” and instead “followed the ways of the kings of Israel and even sacrificed his son in the fire, engaging in the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites”. He also “offered sacrifices and burned incense at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree”.

How would God deal with this insubordination?

Well, looking back to Chapter 15, verse 37, we read where the Lord had begun sending some challenges toward Judah, namely “Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah”. And during the reign of Ahaz, the attacks started on Judah.

For we read where “Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem and besieged Ahaz” but were unable to “overpower him”. This didn’t stop them from impacting the kingdom though as the king of Elam, Rezin, “recovered Elath for Aram by driving out the people of Judah”, opening the way for the Edomites to move into Elath.

So who would Ahaz turn to in this time of need?

Not the Lord but rather another ruler, Tiglath-Pileser…the king of Assyria.

Scripture tells us that “Ahaz sent messengers…to Tiglath-Pileser” with the following message:

“I am your servant and vassal. Come up and save me out of the hand of the king of Aram and of the king of Israel, who are attacking me.”

Instead of turning to the God of Israel…the God who had delivered His chosen people to the Promised Land…the God who had shown over and over and over that He can do all things…Ahaz chose to turn to a rival king of a nation who placed their trust in every god except for the one true God, backing up his call for help by offering himself as a servant and slave.

How often do we do the same? How often so we sell out God and turn to other sources when we get into trouble?

And if it wasn’t bad enough that Ahaz sold himself away, he also “took the silver and gold found in the temple of the Lord and in the treasuries of the royal palace and sent it as a gift to the king of Assyria”. He further desecrated the Lord by handing over all the sacred items of the temple.

In return for Ahaz’s heinous actions, our passage tells us that the king of Assyria attacked and captured Damascus, deporting “its inhabitants to Kir” while putting “Rezin to death”. Ahaz then “went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser” and during that encounter, he “saw an altar” and sent a sketch of it to Uriah the priest “with detailed plans for its construction”. In turn, “Uriah the priest built an altar in accordance with all the plans that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus and finished it before (he) returned”. Once Ahaz “saw the altar, he approached it and presented offerings on it”. He offered the “burnt offering and grain offering, poured out his drink offering, and splashed the blood of his fellowship offerings against the altar”.

So it wasn’t bad enough that Ahaz had been disloyal to God, ignoring him completely when he was in trouble and selling his service and the temple furnishings to Tiglath-Pileser, but now he chose to use a pagan altar to bring his offerings, moving the “bronze altar that stood before the Lord” to the “north side of the new altar”.

Ahaz gave the following orders to Uriah, his priest:

“On the large new altar, offer the morning burnt offering and the evening grain offering, the king’s burnt offering and his grain offering, and the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their grain offering and their drink offering. Splash against this altar the blood of all the burnt offerings and sacrifices”.

And what about the bronze altar of the Lord?

Ahaz decided to not forget about it completely but rather to use it to seek guidance.

Really?

Why would Ahaz all of a sudden be interested in seeking guidance from the Lord when he hadn’t done so up to now?

My suspicion is that Ahaz was just saying this. He wasn’t really interested in seeking the Lord’s guidance but made it sound that he would to his priest. For is Ahaz was truly faithful and loyal to God, then he would have turned to him and trusted him all along.

What confirms my thoughts is the next action taken by Ahaz.

For we read where he “cut off the side panels and removed the basins from the movable stands” before removing “the Sea from the bronze bulls that supported it and set it on a stone base”. He then “took away the Sabbath canopy that had been built at the temple and removed the royal entryway outside the temple of the Lord, in deference to the king of Assyria”.

In other words, Ahaz held the king of Assyria in higher esteem and reverence than the King of Kings.

And soon the entire southern kingdom of Judah would find themselves swept away by a foreign king to a foreign land, removed from Israel and left crying out to the God they turned from.

Friends, are we destined to continue to repeat the mistakes of the past? How many times do we have to turn from God, place our trust in the world, and find ourselves defeated and running back to the God we should have relied on in the first place, before we will learn our lesson and trust Him first?

God expects us to sell out to Him…to give Him our all…just as He gave His all to us in the way of His only Son Jesus Christ…the One who provides us the perfect example of self sacrifice.

Will you trust Him today and never stop trusting Him?

Or will you be like Ahaz, sell out to the world, and allow yourself to lean on its ways, turning your back on God and traveling on the path to destruction?

The choice is yours to make. My advice is to choose God.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO?

2010-07-05T20:46:00.002-04:00

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to ourchristianwalk@aol.com. In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned six months. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as his fathers had done. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.

Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against Zechariah. He attacked him in front of the people, assassinated him and succeeded him as king. The other events of Zechariah's reign are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel. So the word of the Lord spoken to Jehu was fulfilled: "Your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation."

Shallum son of Jabesh became king in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah, and he reigned in Samaria one month. Then Menahem son of Gadi went from Tirzah up to Samaria. He attacked Shallum son of Jabesh in Samaria, assassinated him and succeeded him as king.

The other events of Shallum's reign, and the conspiracy he led, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel.

At that time Menahem, starting out from Tirzah, attacked Tiphsah and everyone in the city and its vicinity, because they refused to open their gates. He sacked Tiphsah and ripped open all the pregnant women.

In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem son of Gadi became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria ten years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. During his entire reign he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.

Then Pul king of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem gave him a thousand talents of silver to gain his support and strengthen his own hold on the kingdom. 20 Menahem exacted this money from Israel. Every wealthy man had to contribute fifty shekels of silver to be given to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria withdrew and stayed in the land no longer.

As for the other events of Menahem's reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? Menahem rested with his fathers. And Pekahiah his son succeeded him as king.

In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah son of Menahem became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned two years. Pekahiah did evil in the eyes of the Lord. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit. One of his chief officers, Pekah son of Remaliah, conspired against him. Taking fifty men of Gilead with him, he assassinated Pekahiah, along with Argob and Arieh, in the citadel of the royal palace at Samaria. So Pekah killed Pekahiah and succeeded him as king.

The other events of Pekahiah's reign, and all he did, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel.

In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah son of Remaliah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned twenty years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.

In the time of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came and took Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh and Hazor. He took Gilead and Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali, and deported the people to Assyria. Then Hoshea son of Elah conspired against Pekah son of Remaliah. He attacked and assassinated him, and then succeeded him as king in the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah.

As for the other events of Pekah's reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?

2 Kings 15:8-31

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

I remember a movie that was out some time ago titled, "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle". The movie was very suspense filled as a woman who had experienced the tragic loss of her first child at delivery, an event that left her barren, proceeded to pose as a nanny for another couple who had just had a successful birth so she could have their baby for her own.

As the movie progresses, the audience watches the nanny gain the trust of the family while in the background, she did her evil deeds which included seducing the husband, emptying the wife's inhalers needed to treat her asthma, rigging the greenhouse so that one of the wife’s closest friends would be killed, and breastfeeding the newborn baby so it would yearn her more that the true mother. Such was the intense nature of this woman wanting to get her own way. She was willing to do whatever it took.

This problem in our society spans far wider than just this movie. Unfortunately, we too often are driven to try and get our way, no matter what we might need to do to get there...and in doing so, we forget the very command of God which tells us not to covet. (Exodus 20:17)

And so I ask you today...because God would be asking as well...how far would you go to get what you want?

Our scripture passage today shows us that in the days of Israel's first kings, it was pretty much anything goes.

In sum, we read where Shallum assassinated Zechariah, not covertly, but rather "in front of the people" to ascend to power.

Shallum was then lost his life and his place on the throne as he was assassinated by Menahem.

Menahem went on to do "evil in the eyes of the Lord" during his reign, and although he didn't assassinate anyone, he "exacted...money from Israel" and used it to bribe Pul, the king of Assyria, and facilitate the withdrawal of Assyrian troops. On the surface, one might see Menahem's actions as noble but one thing was missing. Menahem never once sought the Lord's counsel or guidance as to what he should do.

So did Menahem's actions go without consequence? Not quite.

For after Menahem's son, Pekahiah, ascended to power, he was assassinated after just two years of reign by "one of his chief officers", Pekah. Sometimes, we find that those we think we can trust the most, actually end up being scheming adversaries. Maybe you have experienced this before.

Pekah would rule for 20 years, do evil in sight of the Lord and find his kingdom erode away before his very eyes. For we read where “Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria” attacked and took over “Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh and Hazor” as well as “Gilead and Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali”. The Israelites in these lands were “deported…to Assyria.” Soon, all of Israel would be gone…the northern kingdom no more but not before Pekah also met his fate.

For Hoshea conspired against Pekah and assassinated him to reach the throne. It would be the last assassination for the throne of Israel because God would soon enter in and the kingdom would dissolve.

So where did these antics get those who perpetrated them?

Nowhere.

For this is what happens when we decide to ruthlessly do whatever it takes to get what we want, especially when it is at the expense of another. We need not go as far as assassination, although many people today do still kill to get ahead. We can spread false accusations to destroy another’s reputation and elevate ours in place. We can take what rightfully belongs to another to try and achieve greater power or wealth.

Satan would lead us to do whatever it takes. And there would be no limit to his urging…no boundaries to the evil possibilities he would tempt us with.

Meanwhile, think about it. Would God ever seek to lead you to disobey His commandments …ever?

The answer is no.

Nothing of God is evil. Nothing of God is wrong. And nothing of God would lead you to do wrong or evil to satisfy your own will or desires. Conversely, God is always seeking to turn us from our own will and desires toward His.

So the question remains. How far are you willing to go to get what you want?

And maybe a second question should be asked…and asked first.

How willing are you to allow God to guide you away from the evil that Satan wishes you to do?

As we see in our scriptures, things never worked out very well for the ruthless. God shows us in vivid truth that what comes around goes around. Those who killed to get ahead found themselves killed in the same way. Evil too often begets evil.

Thank goodness that God also shows us that goodness also begets goodness and blessing.

We would be so much better off just allowing God to lead us where He wants us to go…to do what He wants us to do.

And we should be willing to go as far as He calls us to go to do so.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed.

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ARE YOU FAMILY?

2010-04-13T15:01:00.001-04:00

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.

In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you."

He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?" Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."

Matthew 12:46-50

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

If you’re like me, you value family.

I’ve been so very blessed to have two wonderful parents who loved me and raised me the right way. But I wasn’t the only one they raised for I had four other siblings, blessed with three sisters and a brother. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, I’ve been blessed to be married and have a family of my own, having raised two beautiful girls into adulthood (now 27 and 23).

Yes…family has been a part of my life from the very beginning whether I was on the receiving or giving end of upbringing.

Well, in keeping with this theme, today’s scripture is centered on family but not just any ordinary family but the family of Jesus.

For we read that as Jesus was “talking to the crowd”, His “mother and brothers stood outside”. They wanted to speak to Jesus so someone went up to Him and said, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you."

Now, if this were you or I, we probably would have politely excused ourselves to go and see what our family members wanted, especially since one of them was our mother. But Jesus isn’t like the rest of us…and as we will see, He has a special point to make about family…family as He sees it.

For the person informing Him of His family’s presence must have been shocked (and maybe just a little bit confused) when Jesus said to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?"

If the question was just left there without an answer, anyone might have said to Jesus, “Your mother is Mary and she stands outside with your brothers waiting to talk to you Lord. That’s what was just said to you.”

But Jesus quickly gets to His point before anyone can respond, pointing to His disciples and saying, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother."

OK…now I get it Jesus. Your point is well taken.

For we can’t look at the family of Jesus as we do our worldly families…not by a long shot. For Jesus has a family unlike anyone else could ever lay claim to…a family that included everyone who would choose to carry out the will of His Father in heaven, thus making them akin to Him and His life. Matching DNA with Jesus could only happen if we contained likeness to the way He was created...as One who was sent to fully carry out God’s purpose…to give His life to pay the price for the sins of God’s children…for the transgressions of those He could only pray would one day be part of His family.

So where do you stand today? Would the way you live your life allow Jesus to call you His brother or sister?

If you are following the will of God the father who art in heaven, then you can believe in confidence that you are part of Jesus’ family.

And who wouldn’t want to have a brother like that?

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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IS YOUR HOUSE THE LORD’S HOME?

2010-04-12T15:32:00.001-04:00

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.

In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

"When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation."

Matthew 12:43-45

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

I think we all can relate to a time when we lived our lives in a way that was not pleasing to the Lord. It’s bound to happen to even the best person as sin and Satan have a way of exploiting our weaknesses and causing us to act, speak or think in ways contrary to God’s will.

So how does this happen in the first place? How do we fall prey to Satan and end up in the grip of his sinister intent for our lives?

Well, we can start by looking in our “house”…and check out who is living inside.

For if we truly wish to show Satan that the “No Vacancy” sign is up inside our hearts and minds, then we simply must let Satan see that the Light…capital “L”…is always on…that the Lord is always at home inside us.

Jesus touches on this very issue as we draw near to the end of Matthew, Chapter 12. He has been verbally sparring with the Pharisees and teachers of the law, calling out the religious authorities of the day as being not of God as they could not even recognize that God’s Son had indeed come to earth…the Messiah predicted by the prophets of old.

The Pharisees and teachers of the law weren’t as interested in people following God as they were people following them and their legalistic counsel and discipline over anyone who would choose to deny the ways they espoused. For if the religious leaders were fully in tune with God, there would be no questioning of Jesus…no challenging of His ways…no attempts to try and discredit Him. No, the Pharisees and teachers of the law would be exhorting, worshipping and praising Jesus amongst their people. They would be welcoming Him to come and teach in their synagogues. But they didn’t have that mindset…not even close.

And so the religious leaders never truly did anything under God’s authority or validation. His power was not in them because they didn’t really believe in Him. This is why Jesus spoke the following words, painting the work of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law as being fruitless.

He said, “When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation."

Anyone exorcised by the religious leaders of the day was not really healed. For even though an evil spirit might depart a person being treated by a Pharisee or teacher of the law, they wouldn’t be safe because the lack of godliness within the religious authority would lead to the void left by the evil spirit not being filled by God. Instead, the evil spirit would return with some other evil spirit friends and they all would move in, repossessing the man and making him worse than before. So what really got done? Nothing.

Friends, we simply can’t turn from anything we may do that is sinful and expect to remain away from it, unless we fill the void left by the evil spirit inside us with Christ Jesus, the One who makes evil flee just by the mere mention of His name. We simply must make our “house” the home of the Lord…for when He lives within us, Satan and his evil cannot.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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THE ONE GREATER

2010-04-11T07:28:00.003-04:00

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.

In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you."

He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here. The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here.”

Matthew 12:38-42

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Throughout Chapter 12 of Matthew, we have witnessed Jesus in the midst of a showdown with the Pharisees, the Jewish religious authorities of the day. As Jesus came with new teachings and a special power to heal people, he gained a following that disturbed those who were in charge of spiritual matters.

And so we have seen the Pharisees question Jesus on the actions He and His disciples took on the Sabbath, seeking to discredit Him as a leader and even go as far as inferring Jesus was in partnership with the prince of demons. And we have seen in every instance that Jesus had a response for His detractors…responses that only continued to show that He was One who had come that was greater than they were…greater in power and greater in wisdom.

Well, as we continue and look at today’s passage, the Pharisees are not giving up. And amazingly, “some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law” asked Jesus to perform “a miraculous sign”. Now…I’m not sure what driving out demons and healing a man who had been crippled with a shriveled hand would constitute but for me at least those were both miraculous signs.

Jesus full knew that the motive behind the request was to further ridicule or discredit Him and so He had a different response than what the Pharisees and teachers of the law were asking for. For we read where He answered:

“A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here. The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here.”

Wow! Now was that an indictment or what?

The Pharisees and teachers of the law had taken their shots at Jesus but One greater than them was now speaking and taking a shot of His own…one that should have shaken His accusers to the core.

For obviously, those religious authorities who claimed to be such men of God could not even recognize and acknowledge when the power of God was being performed right in front of them. How else would Jesus had been able to do the miracles He performed except by a power greater than any man or woman had ever seen on earth. This is because the power that Jesus carried was not of earth but of His Father…our Father in heaven.

So Jesus let the Pharisees and teachers of the law know the extent of His authority through using two very familiar Old Testament figures…and underscoring the pending judgment awaiting anyone who would seek to undermine His work.

First, Jesus uses Jonah.

We’re familiar with Jonah’s story. You’ll recall that he was told by the Lord to go to Nineveh to preach against the city and its people because of their wickedness. But Jonah, afraid of the assignment, ran instead of obeying…boarding a ship that was bound for Tarshish.

As the ship set out, a terrible storm came upon it and everyone onboard was in danger of dying at sea. All the men on the ship were praying to their own gods, hoping for rescue, but Jonah was asleep below decks. Awakened by the ship’s captain, Jonah was summoned on deck where he was questioned by the rest of the men. They wanted to know what God Jonah followed and he replied, “…I worship the Lord, the God of heaven who made the sea and the land”. (Jonah 1:9)

This statement terrified the men more and they were convinced that it was God…the God Jonah followed…who was responsible for their perilous situation. So the men asked Jonah what they should do and he told them to cast him overboard since he was the one who had angered God.

The men were grief-stricken that they had to kill Jonah to save themselves. In fact, they cried out to Jonah’s God saying, “O Lord, please do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for You, O Lord, have done as You pleased”. (Jonah 1:14) And with that, the men threw Jonah overboard and miraculously, the raging sea calmed. Amazed at what they had witnessed, the men left on the ship “greatly feared the Lord” and offered sacrifice and vows to Him. (Jonah 1:16) The men had seen first hand the power of One greater than anything else they had ever seen.

So what happened to Jonah?

We know he was swallowed by a great fish where he remained inside for three days and three nights. During that time, he repented and reaffirmed his loyalty to the Lord…and then was “vomited…onto dry land” (Jonah 2:10) and given a second chance to do as God commanded…to go to Nineveh and present the word of the Lord…a word that the led Nineveh to amazingly repent and find the Lord’s compassion as He spared the city and its people from destruction.

Back to our scripture where e find Jesus telling the Pharisees and teachers of the law that He would eventually be in a place similar to Jonah…except instead of “in the belly of a huge fish”, He would be in the heart of the earth…dead and buried. But, come back alive to earth after his three day stay, so too would Jesus emerge alive from the tomb…defeating death and ascending to His Father in heaven eternally…an act far more greater than Jonah being vomited from a fish.

And so if what happened with Jonah led the people of Nineveh to repent at Jonah’s teaching then how much more should the people during Jesus’ time repent because He was greater than Jonah? That was the question. And if generation of Jesus’ time chose to not repent through the presence of the One who had come to save them, then the very people of Nineveh would “stand up at the judgment…and condemn it”.

What a powerful statement by Jesus! Now you would think that anyone with half a brain would change their mind, repent and flee from the Lord’s judgment. But those who Satan has a grip on will continue to be blind to the cause of Christ…choosing to remain in darkness instead of stepping into the light.

But Jesus doesn’t stop with a comparison to Jonah. He then goes onto another honored member of Jewish religious history, Solomon, who during his reign was visited in Jerusalem by the queen of Sheba, an Arabian kingdom who profited greatly from the sea trade. During her visit, Sheba “talked with him about all she had on her mind” (2 Chronicles 9:1b) and Solomon in turn, “answered all her questions” with “nothing being too hard for him to explain” (2 Chronicles 9:2). Well, the queen was “overwhelmed” by what she heard and said:

“The report I heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true. But I did not believe what they said until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me; you have far exceeded the report I heard. How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on His throne as king to rule for the Lord your God. Because of the love of your God for Israel and His desire to uphold them forever, He has made you king over them, to maintain justice and righteousness”. (2 Chronicles 9:5-8)

Now, here was a powerful leader who traveled to Jerusalem and was taken to a place of praise and acknowledgement of the Lord through the wisdom the Lord placed on Solomon to express to her. She fully knew that Solomon was where he was because God had put him there…just as Jesus was sent to reign with power and majesty…a power and majesty that far exceeded Solomon’s. And so with that, if the queen of Sheba would acknowledge Solomon, how much more should the people in Jesus’ time acknowledge Him for He was there and greater than Solomon.

OK…so what’s the point for us today?

We need to remember about how great the Lord is…that He is greater than anything.

For in this generation, there are so many who hold up people as being powerful and influential who can’t even scratch the surface on the Lord’s power and majesty. Like the men in the ship heading to Tarshish, people are crying out to gods that don’t exist seeking safety and salvation…and they do it when the One greater than all things is right there ready to give them everything they seek. All they need do is turn to Him, as the men in the ship did after Jonah was cast into the sea and the storm disappeared.

Jesus sacrificed Himself for all mankind…not just for a few men perishing on a ship. He gave Himself up to death on the cross to pay the price for our sins. He perished so we wouldn’t have to if we only believe and trust in Him as our Savior.

Do you fully believe and trust in the One who is greater…greater than anything that life can bring upon you…greater than affliction or hardship?

For through Christ, nothing can separate us from being liberated one day from what this world brings upon us…and in the interim, we know we can cope because He is with us as we seek to carry out His will and way

Indeed, He is the One who is greater. Thanks be to God.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.

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WHAT COMES UP OUT OF YOU?

2010-04-10T13:57:00.002-04:00

Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to OurChristianWalk.com.

In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

"Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."

Matthew 12:33-37

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As you take account for your actions each day, what do you discover?

Do you find that what you have done is good? Or do you find what you have done is bad? Or maybe, you’re in the middle…finding that you did some good but also opted to act badly as well.

So what does the Lord expect from us?

Well, yesterday we saw Jesus teach that there is no middle ground when it comes to following Him. You’re either with Him or you are against Him. (Matthew 12:30) And so, we are either predisposed to do good and righteous acts if we allow Christ to live and abide in us…or wrong, evil acts if we choose to side with Satan instead.

And so again…when others witness your actions, what do they see? Do they see Jesus in you?

You see, we choose how we live and in turn the fruit we bear through that life. In today’s scripture, Jesus explains that the kind of fruit that a person bears will be determined by how the person (or tree) is made. If a person is made good…and this only will come through a commitment to allow Jesus to be Lord of your life…then the fruit they bear will, in turn, be good. But is a person commits to a life of sin and wrongdoing, then their fruit will be bad. In the end translation, the fruit you bear will always reveal whether you are good or bad…righteous or wicked.

So what fruit do you bear? When people see you, what does your fruit tell them about you?

Jesus uses one other illustration to discuss the good and bad in people. For He proclaims:

“…out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.”

What comes out of a person is what they produce from the overflow of their heart. If your heart overflows with goodness, then that’s what you will bring up…good things. But if your heart is dark and overflowing with evil…well…then you will evil will be brought up out of you in the way you act, speak and think.

Keep in mind the words of Jesus during His Sermon on the Mount. For in Matthew 6:21, He said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” If Jesus is your treasure, then that’s where your heart will be and you can ensure that the overflow of your heart will contain all the goodness found in Christ.

But if you so choose to make something else your treasure, then stand by. Because you are opening up yourself to Satan entering in and turning your heart from good to bad…from right to wrong…from righteousness to evil. And this does not come without consequence.

For as our passage closes today, here these powerful words of warning from Jesus:

“But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."

We are not just free to live our lives as we so choose without having to stand and be accountable. No…on the day of judgment, man and woman will be judged for every careless word they've spoken with the penalty, acquittal or condemnation, based on those very words.

So forget about how others see you for a minute. What does the Lord see in you? Would He be pleased or disappointed?

Well, the answer to that question depends on you...on what comes up out of you. Why not make things easy and allow Christ to live inside your heart forever? It’s the only true way you can ensure that anything that you do will be seen as right…by those you associate with on earth and by the Father and Son who are in heaven reigning over us and all creation.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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ARE YOU WITH CHRIST?

2010-04-10T04:28:00.001-04:00

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

"Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house.”

"He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters. And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”

Matthew 12:29-32

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As we look at our world today and the people in it, I think you would find three categories when it comes to a relationship with Jesus…and a connection to Christianity.

First, we have those who choose to have no relationship with Jesus and thus choose to have no connection to Christianity. The reasons may vary but the end result is the same. And there is a cross section of this group that chooses to even see Jesus as an evil force in the world, persecuting and even killing those who choose to follow Him…those who would be in the second category.

For there is another significant portion of the world that fully believes, trusts and follows Jesus as their Lord of Lords and King of Kings…the Author of their creation and salvation. They see themselves lost and hopeless in life without Him. They are willing to surrender what the world offers in exchange for what Christ brings to them. And they would be willing to die for Him while carrying out His call to share His gospel with others, just as He was so self sacrificially willing to die for all mankind to pay the price for sin.

So there are those who choose to not believe and those who choose to believe. Who is in the third category?

Those who choose to straddle the line between unbelief and belief.

For there is another section of the world’s population who will only believe in Jesus when it’s convenient or when it suits them. They are unwilling to fully give up what the world offers because their desires, in some instances, still are of greater priority than the desires of Jesus. His calling, if followed, would mean leaving behind worldly pleasures in exchange for service…labor for the Lord to carry out His assignment to make disciples of all nations.

So what category do you find yourself in?

Today’s message tells us there really isn’t a third category.

For Jesus, still addressing the attempt by the Pharisees to discredit Him and compare Him to Satan, sends a clear message regarding service to Him:

"He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters.”

Did you get that?

You are either with Jesus or you aren’t.

There is no middle ground.

If you are with Jesus, then you are part of His flock, kept together and protected by the Good Shepherd.

If you choose to not be with Jesus, then you are against Him…choosing to be with the world and Satan who has his way with those in it. Anyone who chooses to not be with Jesus leaves himself or herself vulnerable to attack…like a sheep without a shepherd. No protection. Easy pickings for anyone or anything evil.

Notice that Jesus doesn’t say a word about being with Him sometimes and not with Him others. No...there are two clear choices. You are either with Him or against Him.

And so what about those who choose to not be with Him and then attack Him after witnessing His miraculous works, seeking to discredit Him and paint Him as being partnered with evil like the Pharisees had done while trying to connect Jesus to Beelzebub. Well, those who choose to do that would be committing a sin that is unforgivable…blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

What? There is a sin that can’t be forgiven?

Yes…and scripture affirms it through the words of Jesus.

Back to today’s passage as Jesus continues saying:

“And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”

The Pharisees were so adamantly opposed to Jesus that they were willing to egregiously reject His holy works of goodness and love as He healed maladies, exorcised demons and restored others to full health. Instead of praising God for all the powerful acts he was performing by way of His Son and the power of the Holy Spirit, the Pharisees instead tried to wickedly connect what had happened to evil…to the works of demons.

Today, people still refuse to credit the Lord despite the obvious miracles He performs by way of the Holy Spirit each and every day. These people have chosen to fully reject Jesus as well as His will and way for their lives...and in doing so, cut themselves off from the Father in heaven.

For Jesus clearly said, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes unto the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6)

Friends, there’s no gray area there. There’s no middle of the road. There’s no toeing the line.

Jesus expects that we are all in…that we are with Him and with Him fully.

Are you with Him or against Him?

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS UPON US

2010-04-08T10:49:00.002-04:00

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. All the people were astonished and said, "Could this be the Son of David?"

But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, "It is only by Beelzebub, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons."

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? And if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.

Matthew 12:22-28

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

We have seen earlier in the 12th Chapter of Matthew how the Pharisees, the Jewish religious authorities of the day, weren’t exactly pleased that Jesus had come to earth and was doing the work of the Father. In fact, Jesus had gained such a following through His teaching and healing that the Pharisees saw their legalistic approach to ministry threatened. This led them to not only challenge Jesus but also plot to kill Him. Indeed, as godly as the Pharisees advertised themselves, there was little doubt that Satan was working in and through them…a clear warning to any of us that no matter how righteous we think we are, we are still prone to temptation and failure.

In today’s passage, we find the Pharisees continuing to seek to discredit Jesus in His ministry. We read where “a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute” was brought to Him and Jesus “healed him…so that he could both talk and see”. And as we have seen happen at almost every point where Jesus performed a miracle, “all the people were astonished” and amazed…so much so that they asked among themselves, “Could this be the Son of David?" They had certainly witnessed the renewing power of Christ…and could not identify Him with anyone other than the Messiah…the anointed One sent from heaven to earth to reign over mankind in honor.

The Pharisees however saw it differently. For instead of relating Jesus with David, instead they chose to connect Him to “Beelzebub, the prince of demons”. They asserted that the power that Jesus used to drive out demons came from the very prince of the demons.

And with this, Jesus, knowing the thoughts of the Pharisees, took the opportunity to defend Himself saying:

"Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then can his kingdom stand? And if I drive out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your people drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”

No power in existence before or after Jesus ever survived if it was not united within. This was true in talking about earthly kingdoms and it was true in talking about spiritual ones. The entire purpose of good was to overcome evil. It would make little sense for anything good to destroy something else good…in fact, anyone saying they were destroying good because they are good is putting on a ruse. Because only evil seeks to destroy what is good.

So what was Jesus…an instrument of God or Beelzebub?

Well, evil would never try to drive out evil and so that ruled out any connection Jesus might have to the prince of demons. Indeed, He was connected to the Father for He could have not received holy, healing power from any other source. And since He was in fact driving out demons “by the Spirit of God”, then indeed, “the kingdom of God had come upon the people of Israel”.

And that kingdom has never departed…even to this day.

Friends, in the midst of those who would want to discredit Jesus today, we need to ever proclaim that He is alive and present…ready to root out and rid evil in and around us as readily as He did back in the days of our scripture.

Yes…the kingdom of God is upon us…and thanks be to God for that.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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HOPE

2010-04-07T17:19:00.002-04:00

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Many followed Him, and He healed all their sick, warning them not to tell who He was. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

"Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.”

“He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory.”

“In his name the nations will put their hope."

Matthew 12:15b-21

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Do you have hope?

If so, what is the source of your hope?

Is it a sense in confidence in the fact that you are financially well off? Maybe that you have tenure and job security? Or maybe that you feel you are in good health and postured for a long life?

The world certainly offers us no shortage of things to hope for. The problem is that most of what we hope for today could be gone tomorrow…leaving us too often feeling hopeless.

A deep recession could cause our financial status to suffer and fail. Changes in corporate America or the economy can shake even the most stable employers to the core and lead to job cuts or layoffs. And there is any number of afflictions that could strike us, even despite our best efforts to stay in good health.

Yes…place your hope in the world and its ways too often result in disastrous results.

Well, as we look at our passage in Matthew, Chapter 12, we find Jesus having traveled away from the Pharisees who were plotting to kill Him. As He went on, “many followed Him and He healed all their sick”.

Scripture tells us that His actions were “to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah” who said (see Isaiah 42:1-4):

"Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the One I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.”

“He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory.”

“In his name the nations will put their hope."

So what do we learn from Isaiah?

We learn the reasons that Israel could not wait to receive their Messiah…and in learning this, we find where their hope was…and where ours should be as well.

One reason that Israel looked forward to Jesus coming was because He would God was sending Him as a servant…and not just any servant…but a servant who was willing to offer up Himself fully and die for those He came to serve. And Jesus did just that…not just for the people of Israel but for us as well.

A second reason that Israel longed for their Messiah was the promise of justice. Jesus would come to ensure that holy justice would reign supreme in the world…a world that was just as full of injustices in biblical times as it is today. We live fully in the hope that when Jesus returns as promised, the world as we know it will become cleansed and purified. Justice will reign supreme and Jesus will bring that justice.

Yet a third and final reason that Isaiah shares as to why Israel anticipated Jesus’ coming is that He would bring peace. And indeed, Isaiah had given the coming Messiah the name. “Prince of Peace” earlier in his book (Isaiah 9:6). The coming hope for all the nations would not quarrel or take advantage of the weak. No…He would give strength to the weary and increase the power of the weak.

And He would bring them hope…just as He still does today…hope that would allow the weak and weary to renew their strength…to soar on wings like eagles…to run and not grow weary…to walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:29, 31)

Friends, there’s only one source for true hope in life…and that’s Jesus…the Messiah who came to Israel to bring hope and salvation…the Savior who continues to do so today.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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THE LORD OF ALL THINGS

2010-04-05T16:49:00.002-04:00

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath."

He answered, "Haven't you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. Or haven't you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent? I tell you that One greater than the temple is here. If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."

Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"

He said to them, "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."

Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.

Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place.

Matthew 12:1-15a

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Sometimes we get caught up more in the rules of the world and lose sight of the rules of the Lord…the only true authority in life that matters. Even in the Christian arena, we tend to be more concerned about man made doctrine and beliefs than we are the doctrine given to us within the word of the Lord.

Examples of both can be found in today’s passage. For as Jesus is traveling “through the grainfields” with His disciples “on the Sabbath”, the disciples become hungry and picked “some heads of grain”, eating them. Keep in mind they are with Jesus.

So did Jesus scold His disciples for what they were doing?

No but the good old Pharisees…those “ardent” defenders of “the Law” did. Or at least, as was their motif, defended “the Law” when it suited them…and violated it as well…when it suited them. Indeed, the Pharisees represented all the bad that results from a self-righteous attitude…and we still repeat their mistakes today.

Well, scripture tells us that “when the Pharisees saw” Jesus’ followers feasting on the grain, they brought it to Jesus’ attention saying, “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath."

This obviously angered Jesus who responded by saying:

"Haven't you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. Or haven't you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent?”

In other words, before Jesus and His disciples came along, Jewish history and tradition saw those who were revered as holy violate what was set as standards for the Sabbath as well. And most of the strict standards were actually established by the Pharisees through their interpretation and application of the Law.

So there was an impasse. The Pharisees thought that Jesus’ disciples were in the wrong. Jesus obviously felt differently so He settled the issue by doing what He does best…by exerting His authority.

Back to the scriptures as Jesus said to the disciples, “I tell you that One greater than the temple is here. If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."

In other words, there is nothing on earth…nothing that man may build…nothing that man might revere and worship…that was or will ever be greater than the Lord…the Lord of the Sabbath…the Lord Jesus.

But Jesus wasn’t about to just let mere words proclaim His authority.

For we read that He next went into the Pharisees’ synagogue where He encountered a “man with a shriveled hand”. The Pharisees, seeking any reason to continue to discredit Jesus and His followers, asked Jesus the following question:

"Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"

Why did they ask?

Because the Pharisees forbade anyone healing on the Sabbath unless a person was dying and the man’s deformed had was not life threatening.

So Jesus, as we see Him do so often, gives them their answer through an illustration. He replied, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."

Jesus posed a question to the Pharisees that He already knew the answer to. He knew that if a certain circumstance presented itself, like a sheep falling in a pit, the Pharisees would break their own rule to save the sheep. And so why wouldn’t saving a man who was worth more than a sheep be just as right?

This is what Jesus was getting at. And further, if the Sabbath was indeed a holy day, then why wouldn’t someone always want to do something good on it?

And with that, Jesus asked for the man to stretch out his shriveled hand…and when he did, we read that “it was completely restored, just as sound as the other”.

Now you would think that even the legalistic Pharisees would rejoice in the man’s healing but that was not the case. Instead, scripture tells us that they “went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus”. And Jesus…aware of their intentions, “withdrew from that place”.

So what are we to do with this passage today?

We are to remember that no matter how much man might try and establish rules and regulations, those rules and regulations aren’t binding unless validated by the Lord of the rules…the sole true authority…Jesus.

Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath…He is the Lord of the rules.

He is the Lord over all our days…the Lord of time.

He is the Lord over all provision…the Lord of the harvest.

He is the Lord over all worship…the only Lord deserving of our praise.

He is the Lord over all authorities...the Lord of lords.

He is the Lord over all miracles and healing…the Lord of glory

He is the Lord over all spiritual teaching done in His name…the Lord of the way and the truth.

And He is the Lord over all creation…the Lord of the earth…the Lord of the living and the dead.

Yes…Friends, Jesus is the Lord of all things.

Do you acknowledge Him as such? Is He Lord of your life and everything in it?

In Christ,

Mark

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FINDING REST

2010-04-04T10:18:00.003-04:00

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Matthew 11:27-30

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Easter Sunday. What an awesome day for Christians…a day of celebration and rejoicing…a day when our Savior defeated death and the grave to rejoin His Father in heaven…and in doing so pave the way for us.

Indeed, it’s been a journey over these last 40 days and nights through Lent. It’s been a long trek filled with review...reflection…repentance…recommitment…and renewal. And if we have observed Lent properly, then we’ve traveled a good distance with Jesus and we’re weary as we reach Easter.

For we’ve walked with Jesus through His ministry along with His chosen twelve all the way to Jerusalem and the waving palm branches that greeted Him.

We’ve been with Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane as He prayed and then betrayed and arrested.

We placed ourselves with Jesus as He was taken to trial and wrongly convicted of blasphemy, sentenced to die a criminal’s death through crucifixion.

We imagined walking with Jesus as He carried His cross to Calvary, then witnessed Him nailed to that cross and then hoisted up to hang and suffer for our sins.

We listened as He was mocked and derided by those who gathered to watch Him die and yet asked the Father to forgive His attackers because they weren’t aware of what they were really doing.

We sensed the deep anguish of loss as Jesus gave up His spirit and died.

We then followed Joseph as He asked for and received Jesus’ body, preparing it and placing it in a tomb which was then sealed.

And today, we visit the tomb to find it empty. For Jesus has risen as He said He would on the third day. Those who thought they would rid themselves of Him through death actually were participants in Jesus existing forever…and even more than that, presenting an opportunity of eternal life through resurrection for anyone who would believe in Him (John 3:16) whether Jew or Gentile. The curtain that had separated man and God was now torn in two and replaced by a bridge in the way of Jesus Christ.

Yes…if we have truly walked with Jesus since Ash Wednesday, then we are tired…maybe even exhausted. We could use some timely words from the Lord in a time like this.

Today’s scripture offers just that.

For as the 11th chapter of Matthew closes, Jesus speaks special words to us…words that bring comfort and relief…rest and recuperation. He said:

"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Through Lent, if we have committed ourselves to walk with Jesus, we can’t help but have received revelation…revelation to help us increase our wisdom and understanding…revelation to help us see where we need to improve our lives to come more in alignment with Christ. We now understand the words of John 14:6 where Jesus reminds us that He is the way and the truth and the life…the only way we can get to the Father…God…His Father and ours. We have received the revelation that in order to be Christian we need to first be Christ-like.

Most of us after the revelations of the season will find ourselves tasked with the Lord’s expectations. For some, the expectations might be very high and challenges may leave us restless and anxious.

But receive comfort in the midst of what Jesus has tasked you to do through His promise…that all who are “weary and burdened” will be given rest for their souls. Walking with Jesus if we may seem like difficult labor but when we realize He is walking with us, we realize as Paul did that there is nothing we can’t do when we have His strength within us (Philippians 4:13). Indeed, Jesus will help lighten our load and empower us to carry out His will and way as e strive to go forth in obedience to His call for our lives.

Friends, on Easter, we again reaffirm that Jesus has claimed victory over the grave and returned to His Father, now communicating with us through the Holy Spirit…the Counselor he promised. And no matter how embattled we may feel after again reliving His ministry, death and resurrection…today, we can rejoice and be glad…and find rest…for Jesus Christ is risen!

Alleluia!

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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WHAT MIGHT JESUS SAY ABOUT OUR GENERATION?

2010-04-03T18:54:00.001-04:00

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In Christ, Mark

The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. He who has ears, let him hear.

"To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge
and you did not mourn.' For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." ' But wisdom is proved right by her actions."

Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. "Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you."

At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.”

Matthew 11:12-26

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

If Jesus were to return today, what would He say about this generation?

It’s a question we should always think about.

Why?

Because if we would consistently think about it, I think we would continuously be reminded of how much we need to be proactive in carrying out our part of the Great Commission. For Jesus does not expect a passive approach taken toward evangelism but a proactive one.

Our scripture today affirms that.

For as Jesus continues to preach and teach in the towns of Galilee, we see Him speak about those who boldly went forth as spokespeople for the Lord. He said, “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. He who has ears, let him hear.”

For ages, God had sent special messengers to share His word and will with others. The prophets, including Ejijah, prophesied until John and then John carried on their work until Jesus came at last…the awaited Messiah…the kingdom of heaven now come to earth and forcefully advancing so that forceful men could lay a hold of it.

So how well are we today in laboring for Jesus and the gospel? Could we consider ourselves as forceful men and women who are ensuring the gospel is forcefully advancing whereever the Lord might have us?

What might Jesus say about our generation?

He didn’t think to favorably about the One He was trying so hard to teach. We know this because of His words. Back to the scriptures where we read Jesus saying, "To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge and you did not mourn.' For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." ' But wisdom is proved right by her actions."

John first had come to announce the pending arrival of Jesus, the One who would “baptize…with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” (Matthew 3:11b) But the Jews for the most part chose to not believe and respond. They thought John was crazy.

Then Jesus did come, just as John has prophesied. And yet, despite His consistent display of holy power, the Jews for the most part rejected Him too, eventually falsely accusing Him of blasphemy and seeing that He was executed.

Indeed, Jesus was not happy with the generation which He entered the world in.

Need further proof of that?

Just read on in this passage. For Jesus “began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent”. Specifically, He said:

"Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you."

Obviously, the people had made the wrong choice in not accepting Jesus. And obviously, he wasn’t very happy about it.

Again…what would Jesus say about our generation? About our cities? Our communities? Our neighborhoods?

Friends, if Jesus is going to say positive things about our generation…if we want to find ourselves in His favor, then we had better see ourselves as we are…helpless like little children without Him…dependent on Him in every way. For it is the Father’s good pleasure…and accordingly the Son’s pleasure…to reveal to the humble spiritual truths that disclose their will and way for us…a will and way that takes us into their favor.

With Easter about to dawn again, may we resurrect our efforts for Jesus as He lives again…risen from death to life. It will be the right first steps to allowing Him to speak well of us today and avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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