Freedom & Empowerment! (Nehemiah 3:15)

And Shallum the son of Col-hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate. He rebuilt it and covered it and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars. And he built the wall of the Pool of Shelah of the king’s garden, as far as the stairs that go down from the city of David.

THE STUDY:

          The Fountain Gate (v. 15) illustrates the ministry of the Holy Spirit (John 7:37–39). The thing I would like to point out this morning is the order of these gates: first, there is humility (the valley gate), then cleansing (the dung gate), and then the filling of the Spirit (the fountain gate).^[1]         

          To the woman at the well, the Lord Jesus spoke of a fountain (not merely a well) of living water. Again in John 7 He cried, “He that believeth on Me … out of his inward parts shall flow rivers of living water.” The fountain of living water is a type, or symbol of the Holy Spirit who indwells all believers.^[2]

                   

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away this morning with the understanding that as Nehemiah is describing the rebuilding of the wall he is also describing the steps for restoration for the people spiritually: humility, cleansing, and the filling of the Holy spirit.

APPLICATION:

As a minister I have had the wonderful blessing of introducing people to Christ. I have been doubly blessed with the opportunity to lead some of those individuals into the experience of (Sanctification) or what some may call the “infilling of the Holy Spirit.”

I recall a quote from Dr. Mervin Smith (District Superintendent on the WV South), “I don’t believe Satan gets to upset about people accepting Christ as their personal savior. The walls of hell are shaken when that person is sanctified.” Satan still has a chance to cause someone to go astray after they receive Christ. It is when the believer surrenders all to Christ and desires the very nature change God wants to do within him/her that diminishes Satan’s power significantly. This is when Satan is most fearful, when God’s children seek to be empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Don’t let Satan take away or cause you to miss the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Today can be the day you surrender it all to God and receive the power to resist sin and live for Christ as was intended from the very beginning. Today can be the day you live in the freedom and empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1993). Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the Old Testament (Ne 3). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

^[2] Ironside, H. A. (1913). Notes on the Book of Nehemiah (42). New York: Loizeaux Bros.

“OLD ME!” (Nehemiah 3:14)

Malchijah the son of Rechab, ruler of the district of Beth-haccherem, repaired the Dung Gate. He rebuilt it and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars.

THE STUDY:

          “Dung Gate” was also known as the Refuse Gate. It was the southernmost gate, leading to the trash dump in the Hinnom Valley. It is probably to be identified as the Potsherd Gate mentioned in Jer 19:2. In the NT, the trash dump outside the Refuse Gate is associated metaphorically with the place of the eternal punishment of the wicked (e.g., Matt 5:22, 29, 30; Luke 12:5; Jas 3:6).^[1]

          The sanitary disposal of waste materials is essential to the health of a city. This gate did not have a beautiful name, but it did perform an important service! It reminds us that, like the city, each of us individually must get rid of whatever defiles us, or it may destroy us (2 Cor. 7:1; 1 John 1:9).^[2]       

                   

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away this morning with the understanding that just like a city that needs to dispose of garbage and waste in a physical sense for its health and well-being. A person needs to do the same thing spiritually in order for them to be healthy and clean which is the way God had designed it!

APPLICATION:

I have been blessed to have crossed paths with many of the saints of today. One of the things that I admire about them and long to experience within myself is that unbreakable oneness with Jesus. These folks don’t have to wake up in the morning and decide if they are going to serve Christ or be used by Him that day. They don’t have to spend a large amount of time in prayer trying to decipher what God is trying to tell them. Their very nature      is saturated by Christ!

I am not saying I have to make a conscience decision every day to follow Christ or not. I am getting better at hearing and listening to the Holy Spirit. What I long to have is the “OLD ME” gone and nothing but the Holy Spirit dwelling within.

We all have those moments of the “old me” rearing its ugly head. For me, it doesn’t have the same power or control. For others they are able to surrender it to Christ and be delivered from it. But, for some, they still hang on to this garbage or waste and never sense the healthiness Christ has for them. Today, let go of that garbage and waste that has been negating the blessings and freedom Christ wants to give you.

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Barry, J. D., Grigoni, M. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Mangum, D., & Whitehead, M. M. (2012). Faithlife Study Bible (Ne 2:13). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.

^[2] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Determined. “Be” Commentary Series (43–44). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.

The Truth Will Set You Free (I John 5:1)

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.

THE STUDY:

In this passage of scripture I want to focus on the phrase, “Jesus is the Christ.” What do we know about this day and time John is living in? The Gnostics (secessionists) believed in a better way other than Christ. John is reminding his readers that only those who believe that Jesus is the Christ are born of God.^[1]

Today, we live in a world much like that of John’s day. We find that many know of Jesus but don’t know Jesus. We have so many cults that claim the allegiance of Christ but distorted or embellish the truth of Christ. Some religions believe Christ was a good man, a prophet, or something so far from the truth.

John is very clear and to the point when it comes to this one named Jesus: He is the Christ! The word "CHRIST" means anointed, the Greek translation of the Hebrew word rendered “Messiah”, the official title of our Lord. To believe that “Jesus is the Christ” is to believe that he is the Anointed, the Messiah of the prophets, the Saviour sent of God, that he was, in a word, what he claimed to be. This is to believe the gospel, by the faith of which alone men can be brought unto God. That Jesus is the Christ is the testimony of God, and the faith of this constitutes a Christian.^[2]

                   

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away this morning with the understanding that believing that Jesus is the Christ, our savior, means we have been born again. This is not a one shot deal (believe it once and you are in) but a continual belief. Ongoing belief and obedience (v 2) provides evidence that one “is born of God.” ^[3]

CONCLUSION:

           Some rabbis taught that it was necessary to be buried in the Holy Land in order to have a part in the resurrection which would precede the Messiah’s reign on earth. Some even taught that the bodies of the righteous, no matter where on earth they might have been buried, would roll back, underground, to Israel and be raised there.

          There are so many false teachings in our world today, which are trying to deceive and destroy. Some are doing a good job and causing many churches to break away from the truth of Christ. But just remember this, Jesus is the Christ, and this truth will set you free.

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Kruse, C. G. (2000). The letters of John. The Pillar New Testament commentary (170–171). Grand Rapids, Mich.; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans Pub.; Apollos.

^[2] Easton, M. (1996). Easton's Bible dictionary. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[3] Williamson, R. (2010). 1, 2, & 3 John: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (157). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.

I John 3:19-20 (Part 3)

View Video Blog, Right Click Link: I John 3:19-20 (Part 3)

By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.

THE STUDY:

          Why is it that our hearts will tell us one thing but our mind seems to contradict it? The heart may not be a reliable indicator. We may live under self-condemnation, although our actual spiritual condition, known better by God than by us, is secure. A troubled heart may reflect an unnecessarily anxious condition, lacking in trust. But God is “greater than our hearts;” his mercy is the deciding word. He is more merciful to us than is our own conscience. John wants his readers to find their assurance from God, who in spite of knowing “everything” about us yet loves us immensely.^[1]

          If I ponder on something from my past long enough I can fell a sense of guilt. I don’t like what I have done in my past but I have been forgiven and that is where I need to place my faith. My heart may still feel the guilt of it but as for my salvation, due to my repentant heart, I am a child of the King. What I need to do is ask the Holy Spirit to remove this guilt so I can live a life that is fully free in Christ. Just as John has stated in this verse, “for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart!”

WHAT WE CAN WALK AWAY WITH ….

• We walk away this morning with the understanding that our spiritual condition is not always dictated correctly by the feelings of our heart. Forgiveness of sin is one thing but guilt of that sin is another. Self-condemnation is not something that directly effects our salvation but our heart. Let God have the guilt as well as the sin and then live a life that is free in Christ.

CONCLUSION:

           A young man found himself divorced and his little girl no longer lived with him. He had visitation rights but as for time with his daughter, it was very limited. Through this situation the father found Christ and went on to live a successful life. He was forgiven of the sins of the past but he always felt the guilt of his daughter not knowing what it was like to have two parents living under the same roof and raising her.  

          In order to live a life free in Christ, the father surrendered that guilt to Jesus and now lives in the fullness of Christ. As for the daughter, she has grown up to be a beautiful young lady and has a wonderful relationship with her dad.

          Don’t let Satan try and take away your Joy in the Lord. Surrender it all (sins and guilt) to Christ and live is His full love!

Blessings my friends

Pastor Rod

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^[1] Williamson, R. (2010). 1, 2, & 3 John: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. New Beacon Bible Commentary (127). Kansas City, MO: Beacon Hill Press.