Look Outside The Box! (Nehemiah 3:6-12)

6 Joiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the Gate of Yeshanah. They laid its beams and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars. 7 And next to them repaired Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah, the seat of the governor of the province Beyond the River. 8 Next to them Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, goldsmiths, repaired. Next to him Hananiah, one of the perfumers, repaired, and they restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall. 9      Next to them Rephaiah the son of Hur, ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, repaired. 10 Next to them Jedaiah the son of Harumaph repaired opposite his house. And next to him Hattush the son of Hashabneiah repaired. 11 Malchijah the son of Harim and Hasshub the son of Pahath-moab repaired another section and the Tower of the Ovens. 12 Next to him Shallum the son of Hallohesh, ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, repaired, he and his daughters.

THE STUDY:

          What we are going to see in these 7 verses (6-12) is how God used a vast variety of people to accomplish his will. We read in verse 6 about Joiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah. Joiada is the fourth high priest after the Babylonian Exile. Not a lot of information concerning Meshullan.

          We read in verse 7 that next to them was Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite. A person from the town of Gibeon was not allowed to marry a Jew and the town of Meronoth which may have come from Jehdeiah. He was the herdsman of the royal asses in the time of David and Solomon (1 Chr. 27:30) and he received this name.^[1]

          The list of names goes on but I want to point out the occupations of the individuals: Priest, leaders, government officials, goldsmiths, perfumers, and rulers of districts. All took part in this undertaking.  

         

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away this morning with the understanding of two things: 1) With God, all things are possible no matter how big the project. 2) God can and will use any and every one he chooses.

APPLICATION:

What I find interesting when addressing a project or problem is how people will try to pick and choose that certain (15%-20%) group of people to assist them. We fail to look outside that 20% and see that there are others who may be able to do as good if not a better job than those within the 20%.

What causes people to do this? First, it may just be that they know these people and their abilities and so they know the project will get done. Secondly though, they may find it difficult to work with certain one from this 80% group. I can understand the first reason but I am not sure the second reason is acceptable. What we tend to resort to in a crisis situation is what we know. We fail to get to know the others 80% and so we miss out on the potential to do bigger and better things. Don’t resort to being comfortable when it comes to dealing with people. Get to know them and allow them to take part so that you can accomplish more than you could have imagined.

Today, you have an opportunity to do something phenomenal, don’t miss out on it because you chose to be comfortable opposed to looking outside the box to that group of people who have the potential to help you take things to a whole new level.  

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Easton, M. G. (1996). Easton’s Bible dictionary. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

The Great Orchestrator! (Nehemiah 2:9)

          Then I came to the governors of the province Beyond the River and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen.

THE STUDY:

          He is off! We believe it will take him about 2 months to arrive at his destination. Nehemiah is on his way to Jerusalem with documents in hand and a military escort. I can only imagine the king’s captains and horsemen riding together as one team escorting the king’s favored servant. I can only imagine how those townsmen must have felt as this military team gallops through as one locomotive passing through a small country town. Better yet, I can only imagine how Nehemiah felt with the authority and protection from the king.

          I would like to believe that all of this was reassuring to Nehemiah but what was most secure in his heart was that God had ordained all of this. He was in transit by the authority of God and was given God’s protection. Sometimes we can get caught up in all the emotion and hoopla of what’s taking place and forget it was orchestrated and being played out by God.

                             

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away this morning with the understanding that while experiencing all the wonder and beauty of God’s plan and/or creation we should never forget, it is He that is making it happen and it is He who has ordained it to be so.

APPLICATION:

          I am reminded of a story of an lady who was in a hurry to get home from work. She had company coming over for dinner and she needed to get some things from the store on the way home. She pulls into the grocery parking lot and to her disappointment she finds it full. As her heart starts to race she begins to pray, “Lord, please give me a parking spot close to the front so I can get in and out quickly.”

          She drove around and around for what seemed like hours (actually about 2 minutes) and continued to pray. Her heart was starting to beat faster as her anxiety level started to go up. But right in the middle of her repeated prayer she noticed a spot opening up. She immediately says to God, “Never mind Lord, I found one!”

          Unlike this woman at the grocery store, Nehemiah never forgot who was the great orchestrator of his life was, God! Let us remember that no matter how emotional we get, no matter how much our anxiety level rises, or no matter how bleak the situations may look, God is the one orchestrating, maneuvering, and in control.   

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

The One True God! (Jude 24-25 Part 3)

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

THE STUDY:

          Jude clarifies who is able to keep believers secure and to whom glory should be given: It is to the only God, our Savior. The KJV uses the reading “to the only wise God.” But the word “wise” is found only in a few later, less reliable manuscripts. “Wise” was probably assimilated into these manuscripts under the influence of the doxology of Romans, which gives glory “to the only wise God” (Rom 16:27).

The description of God as Savior (sōtēr) is rare in the NT. It is found only eight times including this verse. Typically, the title Savior is reserved for Jesus Christ (fifteen times). But God is consistently identified in the NT as the initiator of the process of salvation made possible through Jesus Christ (e.g., Rom 5:8). Thus, it is not surprising God may also be identified as Savior.^[1]

           

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away this morning with the understanding that Jude’s God is the same God you and I know today, Yahweh! He is the one who started the process of our salvation by sending His son Jesus to redeem us.

APPLICATION:

           For man, it is hard to comprehend the aspect of being redeemed. I believe the reason it is difficult is because we are man and not God. Years ago I had a boss in the secular world that was as evil as evil can get. I was tried and tempted by this man just because he knew I was a Christian. I remember looking at him one day and asking him this simple question, “Do you know what the difference between you and God is?” He looked kind of dumbfounded when he responded, “No! What is the difference?” I said, “God doesn’t think He’s you!”

          This might not have been the best way of handling the situation but the point is, this person is in each and every one of our lives today. They are those individuals who believe they are god or they can do a better job than our God is doing.

          I am reminded of a song that is out on Christian radio today. The song is by the group Big Daddy Weave called “Redeemed!” (click on this link to watch the video) One of the verses in the song reads:

 Seems like all I can see was the struggle
Haunted by ghosts that lived in my past
Bound up in shackles of all my failures
Wondering how long is this gonna last
Then You look at this prisoner and say to me “son
stop fighting a fight that’s already been won”

          Today, let us not forget the God we serve! He is the one who is able, who is willing, and who is the only one who can redeem! Satan wants us to believe what the song says, 

All my life I have been called unworthy
Named by the voice of my shame and regret

God wants us to believe and have faith in Him. The song continues on to say,  

But when I hear You whisper, “Child lift up your head”
I remember oh God, You’re not done with me yet

You and I are redeemed by the one true God! Now let’s start living like!

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Powers, D. G. (2010). 1 & 2 Peter/Jude: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (300–301). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.

GOD IS ABLE! (Jude 24-25)

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

THE STUDY:

Jude's lengthy description and warning of the false teachers must have cast a dark and dreadful cloud over his readers. But his doxology lifts their attention to the triumphant One: To him who is able. The focus of the doxology is on God. Jude directs his readers’ attention to two things God is able to do. Today we will be looking at the first one.

The first thing God is able to do is keep you from stumbling. The theme of “keeping” is prominent throughout the letter. Jude expresses this in a positive and a negative way. Positively, Jude affirms that believers are “kept by Jesus Christ” (v 1). In response, believers must also “keep” themselves “in God’s love” (v 21). Negatively, Jude uses the same verb (tēreō) to underscore the certainty that God keeps sinners for judgment (vv 6, 13). In his doxology, Jude reiterates God’s positive keeping power with a new verb that affirms the power of God to keep (phylaxai: guard) believers from falling. This Greek word conveys the image of “standing guard,” kept in protective custody. Stumbling (aptaistous) refers to falling into sin (Jas 3:2).

The metaphor to keep you from stumbling is probably derived from the psalmist, who often describes the disasters that would befall believers if God did not prevent their feet from stumbling or slipping (Pss 38:16; 56:13; 66:9). God is powerful enough to protect Christians from falling into the sinful ways of the false teachers. God keeps them so that they may attain final salvation.^[1]

           

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away with the understanding that “GOD IS ABLE!” He is able to protect the believers (keeping us from the snares of the demonic forces). He will also “STAND” guard. The scripture says, “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” (Duet. 31:6)

APPLICATION:

           I remember when my children were born. This was a wonderful time as we sat in that delivery room replaying in our mind the miracle that had just taken place. I remember looking at my wife and saying, “Get some rest, Let the nurses take care of the baby for right now.” I would sit and hold them in my arms and when the nurses would walk in and I would hand the new-born over to them and sit back in the chair and go to sleep. We were able to do this because we had faith and trust in the staff at the hospital. I knew they were able to handle anything that may arise.

Excitement filled our hearts as we were leaving the hospital. But as my wife was being wheeled out to the car, all of the security (Faith and trust) left me. I started thinking, “no more nurses to take the child when we needed some rest.” Questions started flooding my mind: what if something bad was to happen? It was then I was reminded of Duet. 31:6! Be strong and courageous because my God will not leave me. Security and peace came rushing back and we knew everything was going to be fine because God is able!

Today, maybe you are in a situation where you feel weak or fearful. Let this devotional be an encouragement for you to be strong and courageous. No matter what you are going through, our God is able!

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Powers, D. G. (2010). 1 & 2 Peter/Jude: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (300). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.

The Study of I John 1:5

View the video Blog for this lesson:  I John 1:5

I John 1:5

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

THE STUDY

          This begins the main body of this Epistle. In the prologue we read how John was revealing what they had heard, seen, and touched. He starts verse 5 by stating, “This is the message we have heard from him.” What is it they heard? God is Light!

John uses the phrase “God is light” as a running theme throughout this epistle (John 1:4-5, 7-9; 3:19-21; 8:12; 9:5; 12:35-36, 46; Rev. 21:23)^[1]. We see John presenting two aspects to the idea of “GOD IS LIGHT.” 1. The Positive side to walking in the light (Verse 5 - 2:6). 2. The Negative side: things or people to avoid (2:7-28).

          We don’t have to be scientist to know that darkness cannot consume light. When you walk into a dark room and turn on a flashlight it disperses the darkness. There has never been a case when someone has been in a lite room and turned on darkness and it consumed the light. If you really think about it there is only one way darkness can become present, when the light is either turned off (man turning lights off with a switch) or it chooses to leave (sun setting in the evening).

          As we look at this passage today we need to focus on the message John is revealing to the readers, God is Light! In the Greek there are 3 names used to describe God:

Theos: Greek word translated “God.” Primary name for God used in the New Testament. The writers of the NT used this name to teach us that He is the only true God (Matt. 23:9; Rom. 3:30), unique (1 Tim. 1:17), transcendent (Acts 17:24; Heb. 3:4; Rev. 10:6), and He is the Savior of the World (John 3:16). This name is used of Christ as God in John 1:1, 18; 20:28; 1 John 5:20; Tit. 2:13; Rom. 9:5; Heb. 1:8; 2 Pet. 1:1.

Kurios: Greek word translated “Lord.” Stresses authority and supremacy. While it can mean sir, owner, master, husbands, it is used mostly as the equivalent of Yahweh of the Old Testament.

Despotes: Greek word translated “Master.” Carries the idea of ownership while kurios stressed supreme authority (Luke 2:29; Acts 4:24; Rev. 6:10; 2 Pet. 2:1; Jude 4).

          The one used in this passage is the word “theos” to define God. John formulates short statements that describe God’s nature. In other places he says, “God is spirit” (John 4:24) and “God is love” (I John 4:16). Here, in verse 5, he reveals God’s essence in a short statement of three words: “God is light.” God is not a light among many other lights; he is not a light-bearer; God does not have light as one of his characteristics, but he is light; and although he created light (Gen. 1:3), he himself is uncreated light. Moreover, the light of God is visible in Jesus, who said, “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12).^[2]

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH …

          I think we need to stop at this point. I believe we can walk away with this in mind ….

• Where there is Light there can be no darkness. Where there is God there will be no evil, where Jesus dwells there will be no Satan.

• This name of Jesus is so powerful that when we speak it, demons HAVE to flee. Like darkness disappearing due to the light that is penetrating, Satan and his demons have to vanish due to this one named Jesus.  

CONCLUSION:

          If you are sitting in a dark room with no windows, you can't see the objects in the room.  Even though the objects are there, you aren't aware of them because you're in darkness.  However, if someone turns on the light switch, the things previously hidden from your eyes are now obvious. 

          Don't get angry at people in spiritual darkness for not being able to see what's obvious to you.  Instead, bring them some spiritual light.

          I was preaching once and I ask this specific question, "What is a saint?" A little boy pointed up at one of the stained glass windows which had an apostles portrayed in it. He cries out, "People who let the light shine through!" Let your light shine through today!

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures (1 Jn 1:5). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

^[2] Kistemaker, S. J., & Hendriksen, W. (1953-2001). Vol. 14: New Testament commentary : Exposition of James and the Epistles of John. New Testament Commentary (242). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.