DAY #52: Nehemiah 1:1-11

BACKGROUND

In 586 BC the city of Jerusalem in Israel was destroyed. Jews were deported over to Babylon which is now Iraq. They were to be kept there for 70 years. But in 538 the first group of Jews were allowed to return, under the leadership of Zerubbabel. In 515 the Temple was rebuilt with great encouragement from Haggai and Zechariah. In 458 Ezra led the second group of Jews back to Jerusalem. Then in 444 Nehemiah asked permission to return to Jerusalem with a third group to rebuild the city walls.

The Problem that Nehemiah faced – the city walls and gates have been in ruble and decay for 150+ years. In those days if a city was walled and an enemy came against it, it might take 2, 4, 6 months for the enemy to break in. The walls were very important. The Jews had been taken away in captivity into another country. They finally were allowed to trickle back in. Finally they were allowed to rebuild the Temple. But the city was still in ruins, rubble. All the walls were falling down. It was just junk and they were living in a heap.

Why were they in captivity in the first place? It was the sin of the nation. God said, If you guys don't get your act together I'm going to allow an enemy nation to come in, and He did. But now He's allowing the Jews to come back, the Temple has been rebuilt but the city is still in rubble, a big mess, and the walls are broken down. People are living in rubble, low morale, and they're defeated, discouraged, depressed. What do you do when you have that kind of situation? You need a leader.

In Nehemiah 1:11, he says "I was the cupbearer to the king." This tells us what Nehemiah did for a living, who he was, what his occupation was.

What was a cupbearer?
He was a combination Prime Minister, body guard, personal security agent and assistant to the king. He did all of these things. He was very well trusted. He was the person the most trusted by the king. The reason he was called cupbearer was because part of his job was to taste the wine before the king drank it to make sure it wasn't poisoned. There were a lot of assassination attempts in those days. The king was paranoid and fearful so they would have a guy who would test all of the wine. If he keeled over they knew that was bad wine! It was a pretty dangerous job, considering in those days a lot of people didn't like Artaxerxes.

The point I want to make here is that Nehemiah had to be absolutely loyal and trustworthy.

Now these historical facts are only of secondary importance, but they important to know so that that we understand the spiritual implications of this Book of Nehemiah. I am not concerned primarily with a history of the return here; I am concerned primarily that we should draw from this book the immense spiritual lessons that are here for us all.

Folks, there is a wall to be built around the city of your soul. There is a wall to be erected around our church. There is a wall be built around the valley we live in. There is a wall be built throughout the whole world. When will you start building?

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

The take away from this morning's passage for me is this: Nehemiah was brokenhearted over the condition of the people - his people - back in Jerusalem. When he heard of the wall be broken down and the gates burned down, he wept. When he heard that the people were living in disgrace, he mourned. Nehemiah wept and mourned for four months.

WHY DID GOD CHOOSE NEHEMIAH AS A LEADER TO RESCUE HIS PEOPLE? Of all the people why did God choose Nehemiah, the cupbearer to a pagan king? Three reasons:

#1. NEHEMIAH WAS SENSITIVE TO THE NEEDS ABOUT HIM

Nehemiah's reaction is pretty incredible. Nehemiah has it made. He's at the peak of his career. Nehemiah is living on easy street, the second best position in the kingdom. He's got a great salary, he doesn't have to rock the boat. The problems in Jerusalem must seem like a million miles away. He's never even seen Jerusalem. He was born in Babylon because they'd been there 70 years. When he hears about God's people depressed, discouraged, defeated he takes it seriously.

The point I want to make is this: The people that God uses are people who care about the things God cares about. And God cared about the fact that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down. Since God cared about it, Nehemiah cared about it and that made him a leader.

One of the members of my church back in Washington D.C., sent me a letter several years ago. He basically said "I'm resigning my law practice because I've been asked to become a director of the Union Rescue Mission and I'm going to do it." There is a man who is sensitive and cares about the things on the heart of God.

Bob Pierce, the founder of World Vision, used to say, "Let my heart be broken with the things that break the heart of God." That's the first step in being a great leader. A sensitivity to the needs around you.


#2. NEHEMIAH WAS DEPENDABLE

He had a proven track record. We see that the king considered him so trustworthy he gave him the most reliable position of the kingdom -- cupbearer. He intrusted his personal security to him. There was enormous trust there. The point I want to make here is that God uses people who are trustworthy, reliable, dependable.

Luke 16:10-13 is a great passage about dependability. It tells us four ways to test our faithfulness. This gives us four ways God tests our faithfulness to see if He's going to use us or not. One of the ways He tests us is how we serve in another person's ministry before He gives us our own. Another way is what do we do with our money? The Bible tells us that the way you manage your money determines how much God can bless your life. Your giving determines to a great degree how much God can bless your life. If you cannot be trusted with unrighteous mannon who's going to trust you with true spiritual riches?


#3. NEHEMIAH WAS AVAILABLE

When the situation needed a leader, Nehemiah said, "I volunteer! Here am I, send me!" He had the job, the position that everybody else wants and the problem is a thousand miles away, two months away across the desert on a camel and he says, "I'll go! I'm not even a contractor but I'll go rebuild the wall!" God still chose him even though he didn't have the skills for that particular job. But he was sensitive and he was dependable and he was available.

God is not looking for ability in leaders as much as he's looking for sensitivity, dependability, and availability. Those qualities are a matter of choice. You may say, "I don't have certain gifts or talents or intellect." That doesn't even matter to God. What matters are, Are you credible? Do you have character? Are you growing in character? Are you sensitive to people? Are you dependable? Can God rely on you? Dependability is much more important than ability. Are you available?

I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course.

DAY #51: 1 Corinthians 10:23-33

BACKGROUND:
The issue of eating meat offered to idols led Paul to three conclusions in the matter that can be applied to the broad spectrum of Christian liberties:
While eating such meat is essentially unimportant to one’s faith, and while it is allowed (not against God’s law, see also 6:12), it may not necessarily be helpful to the believer. The Christian has the freedom to eat such meat because he or she knows it doesn’t matter. Just because something is not against the law, however, doesn’t mean that it is helpful.

While believers are free to practice their freedom in Christ in matters that are allowed, some practices of freedom do not necessarily work to build up individual believers, others, or the church.

Therefore, Christians are to use their freedoms, not for their own good, but to think of other Christians and what is best for them. As Paul had concluded at the end of chapter 8, all Christians, free in Christ, should humbly set aside their freedoms in order to win more people for the Kingdom. Nothing should ever impede a believer’s witness for Christ. It is always more important to avoid unhelpful actions than to assert freedoms.


In the case of eating meat, Paul explains that if the believers were invited to the home of an unbeliever for dinner, they could go. In the homes of unbelievers, the Christians might well be served meat that had been offered to idols. Paul’s advice, as with buying meat in the market (10:25-26) is to eat whatever is offered and don’t ask any questions. It would probably have been a breach of hospitality to ask about the food and then to refuse to eat it. How much better to just enjoy the host’s hospitality and be a witness to his family than to raise questions of conscience and so lose that opportunity.

But the situation could arise that several believers are eating a meal at the home of an unbeliever. One of these believers (the someone referred to here, who was a “weaker” believer, see 8:10) warns his fellow believers that the meat they had been served had been offered to an idol. At that point, then, the stronger believers, although they know that this really makes no difference, should refrain from eating the meat out of consideration for the conscience of that weaker believer because of the clear association with temple worship. (This weaker believer feels that in eating that meat, the Christians would be sanctioning idol worship.) This is the same advice Paul gave in chapter 8.

Paul’s question, “Why should my freedom be limited by what someone else thinks?” is in the context of his discussion regarding strong believers acquiescing to weaker believers in matters of conscience. The only real way to hold on to that freedom, because it is freedom, is to use or not use it freely, depending on the situation.

Strong believers must not allow their freedom to be limited or condemned by weaker believers, so they should not use their freedom when that could happen. Simply because these strong believers can thank God for the food and enjoy it, no matter where it came from, they should not allow themselves to be condemned for using that freedom. It is better, said Paul, to set aside one’s freedom in those situations. The bottom line is that all that believers do should be done for the glory of God. If these strong believers had to set aside their liberties in order to win others to Christ, they should do so because this would bring glory to God.

Paul wanted these believers to understand that the liberty God gave them was not to be used to give offense; rather, as Paul described in 8:13, his entire life focused on winning others to Christ. If need be, he would never eat any meat again if it would keep others from stumbling. In things that did not really matter, Paul tried to please everyone. Always, Paul’s focus was to do what was best for others so they may be saved. Nothing, not even liberty in Christ, should cause believers to lose sight of their desire to win others to Christ.


SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

The foundational truth we see today - our freedom in Christ, is so key, so important. Not necessarily the freedom aspect, but the responsibility we have with that freedom. The responsibility we have to always be conscious of other the weaker, younger believer/follower of Christ. It seems to me that much of that sense of responsibility has been lost today by the waves of self-centerdness and me ism that is so prevalent and pervasive in our churches today.

Justice Lewis Brandais, one of the Supreme Court justices, once said, "Responsibility is the great developer." It builds your character. It's what helps you grow. Churchill called it, "The price of greatness." If you want to do something great with your life you have to become a responsible person.

"Why should I live a responsible life?" Three reasons:

#1. BECAUSE GOD IS WATCHING ME. The Bible says this in the book of Hebrews, "Nothing in all the world can be hidden from God. Everything is open before him, and to him we must explain the way we have lived." God sees it all and God is going to judge us one day and evaluate our lives on how did we live. Life is a test of responsibility. That's why you're going through all this. God planned you, thought you up, put you on earth and He is testing your responsibility. He's developing your character.

Why is God interested in my character? God couldn't care less about your achievements. What he's interested in is your character. God couldn't care less about your bank account. What's He's interested in is your character. Why? Because it's the only thing you're going to take with you when you die. You're not taking anything else.

#2. BECAUSE OTHERS ARE AFFECTED BY MY LIFE. None of us lives to ourselves alone, we are all interdependent. We're not independent or dependent but interdependent on each other. 1 Corinthians tells us, "People should be concerned about others and not just about themselves."

Back in the 60's during the hippie movement there used to be these beautiful psychedelic posters. One of them said something like this; "I was not put on this planet to live up to your expectations and you were not put on this planet to live up to my expectations so let me do my thing and you do your thing and if perchance we happen to meet that's groovy!"

We don't say it in such a corny way any more but the attitude is still around. It goes like this (Billy Joel song): "I don't care what they say! This is my life." Or as that great theologian Sammy Davis, Jr. said, "I've got to be me!" or his theological partner Sinatra, "I did it my way!" The basic idea behind these type of songs are I live my life the way I want to and what's it to you? If it doesn't hurt you or you don't know about it, who cares? It's my life and it doesn't matter what I do because it doesn't affect you.

The problem is, you're wrong. Every decision you make affects somebody else -- even the secret ones. It changes you and you then influence other people by the changes in your life. You may not see the visible results but every choice you make influences somebody else and every time you're irresponsible it hurts somebody else. We're all on this same planet.

When somebody in your family has a problem it's not their problem; it's the family's problem. It influences everybody in the family. Whether the kid's on drugs or the dad's under stress, it affects everybody in the family. There is no such thing as a non affecting decision. You, talk all the time with your life, influence your family, parents, kids, brothers, sisters, moms, dads, husbands, wives. The choices you make influences your friends. They influence the people in your neighborhood. They influence friends at church. They influence society at large in major and minor ways. We are all inter connected because we're on this planet together.

It's interesting that when we are irresponsible, the two most common excuses, rationalizations we give are, "Nobody will know about it," and "It won't hurt anybody." You're wrong on both counts. You're wrong.

A man can say, "I can get away with this. My wife will never know. I can do this and it won't hurt my wife." Kids can say, "I can do this and it won't hurt my parents." An employee can say, "I can do this. It's a big company. It won't hurt anybody." You're wrong.

You need to be responsible because God is watching and because other people are affected. There's a third reason, a positive point.

#3. I NEED TO BE RESPONSIBLE BECAUSE GOD REWARDS IT. And boy, does He reward it! Deuteronomy 28:2 says, "You will experience all of God's blessings if you obey the Lord." Circle "all". God says, You will not believe what I will pour out on your life if you will live responsibly with your time, with your money, with your relationships -- every area of your life. I will bless you in ways you cannot even imagine. One of the ways God rewards us when we are responsible is He gives us greater responsibility.

Jesus says, "To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given." If you use your influence well, you become more influential. If you use your possessions well, God will provide more of them. Why should God give you more money when you're not responsible with the finances you've got right now? He doesn't have any obligation to help you when you're living irresponsibly in that area or any other area. But on the other hand, if you will be responsible I will bless your socks off in a way you can't imagine.

If that's the case, how do I become a more responsible person?

Anytime you want to talk about responsibility there's a certain book you have to go to in the Bible. The Bible is made up of 66 different books inside. There's an entire book of the Bible written about how to live a responsible life. It's called the book of Proverbs. Proverbs has 31 chapters in it. That means if you read one chapter a day, you'd read through the book once a month. I want to challenge you today to read a chapter a day of Proverbs for the rest of your life. That means you'll go through it about twelve times a year. Each time you read through it, read it in a different translation. You'll get more and more out of it. This is the book that teaches you how to live. It teaches you things like how do you build strong relationships. It talks about how to handle wealth. It talks about how to build a business. It talks about how to get along with other people. How to save your marriage. It talks about child raising. It talks about what to do when you fail, what to do when you succeed. It's an amazing storehouse of God's wisdom. You have to go to Proverbs when you're look at responsible living.

I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course.

DAY #50: 1 Corinthians 10:14-22

BACKGROUND:
The Corinthian believers needed to be aware that any dabbling at the edges of their former lives of idol worship might lead them back into sin. How much wiser, instead, to flee from the worship of idols. The Corinthian believers needed to be wise enough to know that, because of past association, they should run from some temptations.

It might not be wise for believers to go to feasts where meat had been offered to idols, because it could draw them back into former sins. Even if one person were strong against such temptation, he or she might be a stumbling block for a weak person—actually becoming a temptation for someone who might not be as strong against the temptation to return to idolatry.

Christians participate in Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice when they share the cup (symbolizing Christ’s blood) and eat the bread (symbolizing his body) at the Lord’s Supper. Sharing in this meal signified sharing in its benefits. Since the early days of the church, believers have celebrated this special meal. Taking part in sharing the one loaf with other believers symbolized their unity in one body with Christ.

In Old Testament days, when Jews offered a sacrifice, they ate a part of that sacrifice as a way of restoring their unity with God, against whom they had sinned (Deuteronomy 12:17-18; 14:22-27). By offering the sacrifices and then eating a portion of the gift that had been offered, they were united; that is, they were fellowshipping with God, to whom they had brought their gifts.

Eating at the Lord’s Table means communing with Christ and identifying with his death (10:16-17). Eating at the table of demons means identifying with Satan by worshiping or promoting pagan (or evil) activities (10:19-20). Obviously, Christians cannot do both. To do so is to rouse the Lord’s jealousy. When ancient Israel turned to idols, God punished them severely (10:7-8).


SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read this morning?)

The foundational truth this morning is this - Mature believers/followers of Christ are cognisant of the truth that many things in life can become idols if we are not careful. A great example of this come from the book of Judges and the life of Gideon. Your remember Gideon don't you? Read Judges 6 & 7, if you need a refresher on his life.

Here's the point about idol worship we must get: God gave Gideon a test and God will test you. Before God will ever use you in a significant way He will test you. There will always be a test before God can use you in a significant way. A test of whether you're really going to trust God and obey him. This is what happened in Gideon's life.

The background of the story is that during this time of oppression and depression in Israel, they had decided to take in everybody else's false gods. They were trying to worship God and idols at the same time. They were compromising their faith. God said, "Gideon, I have a task for you to do. Before you do anything else, I want you to go and tear down the idol that your dad built -- the false god that's in your little village."

Judges 6:25 says, "That same night the Lord said to him, `Take the second bull from your father's herd, one of seven years old and tear down your father's altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it." [which was another god. Baal was a fertility god. It was a sexual cult] "Then build the proper kind of altar to the Lord, your God, on the top of this bluff and using the wood of the Asherah, that you cut down, offer the second bull as an offering." So Gideon took ten of his servants and he did as the Lord told him."

He tore down the idol in his life.

What's the idol in your life? What is the Baal in your backyard? God could not bless Gideon until he was ready to obey without question. This incident shows us the three ways that God may test you. And God will test you one of these three ways or maybe all three ways before He can use you significantly.

#1. God may test you spiritually.

This is a test of Who's going to be God in your life. Exodus 20:3, the very first commandment, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." God says I want complete allegiance. I want total obedience. I don't want any compromise. I want to be number one in your life." A spiritual test is "What is number one in your life? What's the Baal in your backyard? What's the idol. It may be a Winnebago. It could be a person, a career, a possession, a position of prominence, status. it could be a place. What is it that competes for your time and energy for number one place in your life? Whatever it is it's a god and God says, Cut it down! You need to do a little spiritual housecleaning. Clean up your own backyard. God may test you spiritually to see what's really important in your life.


#2. God may test you emotionally.

Notice who's altar it was. It was his father's altar. It says he went and tore it down at night because he was afraid of his family. We're talking about a confrontation with tradition. We're talking about a breakdown from the past. He's saying, "My whole family has been worshipping this for years. I'm going to break with tradition." That's an emotional test. Family ties.

Do you ever find yourself limiting your Christian life because of what other people think? Because family members might become upset? It was his dad's idol and he goes and smashes it. Who's going to pay for it?

There was an emotional test here. Sometimes following God means standing alone if necessary. (John 12:43)

The point is, service for the Lord always begins at home. In your own backyard. He said, "Gideon, before you can go out and take on the world let's clean up your act right here in your own family. Service for the Lord starts at home. It doesn't matter what I do or what i say or what I accomplish if my family is falling apart, nothing else really matters. That's my first responsibility. Service for the Lord starts at home.

#3. God may test you physically.

There may be a physical test in your life that God will use to see how willing you are to follow directions and instructions. When you think about this, this was a risky move -- go out at night and tear down the town idol. It didn't matter that his dad had built it and it was his family's. It couldn't have been the most prominent family in town because he said he was the least family. But he went against tradition and it wasn't exactly going to win Gideon a popularity contest. In fact, it could have cost him his life. When you read the next few verses, you'll find that when they woke up the next morning the town formed a lynch mob and came after Gideon because he had done this.

Judges 6:28 says, "In the morning when the men of the town got up, there was Baal's altar demolished and the Asherah beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the altar. They asked each other, `Who did this?' When they carefully investigate they were told Gideon, son of Joash did it.' So the men of the town demanded of Joash his dad, "Bring out your son. He must die because he has broken down Baal's altar and cut down the Asherah beside it." This is a physical test. He could literally lose his life.

The point is this: If you really get serious about serving God expect fireworks. You may cause a riot. You may upset a few traditions or something.

But Gideon obeyed completely. And it affected his father. It influenced his father. His father actually came to his defense even though it was his father's idol that had been torn down. Joash said, (6:31) "Joash replied to the hostile crowd round him, `Are you going to plead Baal's cause? Are you going to try to save him? If Baal is really a god he can defend himself."

That's smart thinking! If he was really a god he could take care of himself. He doesn't need me. How many things in our life that we put up on a pedestal we think are really important and yet when we take them off the pedestal we realize they weren't that important at all. How many things in our life have we thought, "I can't live without that!" and yet when you do live without it, it's no big deal. Those things that we glorify and honor and work and spend our lives for and set as our main goal and then you get it and you think, "It's not the god I thought it was going to be. It's not the pleasure producing item I thought it to be."

Gideon's father came to his defense. I like that! He saw in his son Gideon that made Joash, his father, say, "The kid's right on! go for it son!' Courage is contagious. Faith is infectious. All of a sudden Joash was saying, "My son's right. We shouldn't be compromising."

I pray today's devotional impacts you and makes you think and evaluate. I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course.

DAY #49: 1 Corinthians 10:6-13

BACKGROUND:

Far from being irrelevant to New Testament Christians, the stories of people in the Old Testament provide a warning from which the believers can learn - namely, not to crave evil things as they did. Clearly, the Israelites’ status as God’s people and recipients of his love and provision did not mean that all of them loved and served God in return. Instead, many/most actually desired evil and turned away from God. The incident of pagan revelry occurred when the Israelites made a golden calf and worshiped it in the wilderness (Paul quoted Exodus 32:6). If those people who had witnessed the miracles of the escape from Egypt could so easily be tempted to turn to idolatry, then the Christians in Corinth, who were surrounded by idols, should also be on their guard.

This incident, when 23,000 Israelites died in one day is recorded in Numbers 25:1-9. The Israelites worshiped a god of Canaan, Baal of Peor, and engaged in sexual immorality with Moabite women. Because of their sin, God punished them harshly. For the believers in Corinth, the comparison would have been inescapable. Much of the idol worship there focused on ritual prostitution and sexual immorality of all kinds. God would not go lightly on those who claimed to be his but still engaged in idol worship or sexual immorality.

Paul had already affirmed that Christ, as the spiritual Rock, accompanied them in their wilderness journeys (10:4), so the Israelites’ sins were indeed against Christ. This verse recalls Israel’s complaining about having been brought out into the wilderness (Numbers 21:5). They were testing the Lord’s patience to see what he would do, and he punished them by sending poisonous snakes among them. Many died from snakebites. Those who claim to be God’s people will not test the Lord to see how much they can get away with. True believers will seek to stay near to God in order to constantly live in obedience to him (Hebrews 3–4).

This incident of grumbling occurred when the people complained against the leadership of Moses and Aaron—an event that actually happened several times. The phrase, God sent his angel of death to destroy them, probably refers to when the Israelites grumbled at Kadesh, refusing to enter the Promised Land. God punished them with a plague (Numbers 14:2, 36-37). This could also refer to the incident recorded in Numbers 16 when a group rebelled against Moses, and God sent a plague that killed the rebels. Grumbling against God or against his leaders results in divine punishment. God does not take this sin lightly either. This was another problem that the Corinthian church was facing (3:1-9).

When the Israelites disobeyed, they received punishment. Likewise, when people who claim to be Christians sin with no repentance, no desire to change, and no concern for God’s laws, they too will receive God's discipline.

Paul warned the Corinthian Christians that if they began to take it for granted, if they thought they were standing strong, that was the time to be most careful not to fall. The Corinthians were very sure of themselves, to the point of being prideful. Paul said that if the Israelites fell into idolatry, so could some in the Corinthian church. No human being is ever beyond temptation. Paul warned the believers not to let down their guard.

Temptations come into every believer’s life—no one is exempt. Temptation is not sinful; the sin comes when the person gives in to temptation. Believers must not be shocked or discouraged, or think that they are alone in their shortcomings. Instead, they should realize their weaknesses and turn to God to resist the temptation. Enduring temptation brings great rewards (James 1:12). But God does not leave his people to Satan’s whims. Instead, God is faithful. He will not always remove the temptation, because facing it and remaining strong can be a growing experience; however, God does promise to keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it.

The secret to resisting temptation is to recognize the source of the temptation and then to recognize the source of strength in temptation.

Not only that, but God also promises to show you a way out so that you will not give in to the temptation and fall into sin. It will take self-discipline to look for that “way out” even in the middle of the temptation and then to take it when it is found. The way out is seldom easy and often requires support from others. One of the God-given ways of escape from temptation is common sense. If a believer knows that he will be tempted in certain situations, then he should stay away from them. Another way out of temptation is through Christian friends. Instead of trying to deal with temptation alone, a believer can explain her dilemma to a close Christian friend and ask for support. This friend can pray, hold the person accountable, and give valuable insights and advice.

The truth is that God loves his people so much that he will protect them from unbearable temptation. And he will always give a way out. Temptation need never drive a wedge between believers and God. Instead, a believer ought to be able to say, “Thank you, God, for trusting me that much. You know I can handle this temptation. Now what do you want me to do?”


SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

Let me ask you a question this morning: Do you think it's easier handling success or failure? Thomas Caryle once said, "For every one hundred people who can handle adversity there is only one who can handle prosperity." I think most people can't handle being at the top. It changes them. The truth is, success destroys some people.

This morning, I want to briefly write to leaders about escaping the temptation's of leadership and holding on to your integrity. Three things from the life of Nehemiah;

#1. DEEPEN MY REVERENCE FOR GOD

I love the story of Nehemiah. Nehemiah was a man who wanted to please God more than he wanted to please himself. In Nehemiah chapter 5, he confronts the leaders of the people, for they had been charging them outrageous interest on loans. When the people were unable to pay back the loans, the leaders would sell them into slavery. Unthinkable, I know. Nehemiah says "out of reverence for God I did not act like that." What does it mean to reverence God? It means two things:

1) I realize God put me in this position. Nehemiah had never forgotten that it was God who sent him back to Jerusalem. God gave him a project. He never forgot that God had put him there. Psalm 75:6 says, "For promotion and power come from nowhere on earth, but only from God. He promotes one and deposes another." Great leaders realize that they are stewards. They realize that it's not their world, their church, their business; they are just the manager, the steward. Promotion comes from God, not from other people. Someone said, "You don't need to know the key men if you know the man who holds the keys." That's where promotion comes from.

2) I realize that God is holding me accountable. v. 9 "Shouldn't you walk out of the fear of our God?" The Bible says that "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." One of the reasons I think people try to do things and get away with it is that they don't fear God. They think they can play games and get away with it. The Bible says, "Obey your spiritual leaders and be willing to do what they say. For their work is to watch over your souls and God will judge them on how well they do."

That verse scares me to death. God is going to judge me. There is no authority without accountability. The Bible says that pastors are accountable to God, leaders are accountable to God. "We who are teachers will be judged with greater strictness than others." That's what it means to reverence God. "You put me here and You're holding me accountable of how I serve You." As a leader I am called accountable before God. There is a deep respect there for the Lord.

#2. DEVELOP A LOVE FOR PEOPLE

Nehemiah was a man of compassion and concern. He genuinely cared for people. We get examples of this when he got angry when the people exploited others, and he was generous with what he had. Nehemiah 5:17 says, "Furthermore 150 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 for the demands were heavy on these people."

Leadership Law: Losers focus on what they can get, leaders focus on what they can give. The Bible says, "David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skill he led them." The Good News says, "He shepherded them with unselfish devotion." Psalm 78:72 is one of my life verses. I pray that God will let me shepherd with integrity and with skill.

Listen to Nehemiah's reaction when he learned people were being exploited - "When I heard their outcry and these charges I was very angry." Love sometimes motivates you to get angry. When you see someone that you love being hurt, misused or abused, do you get upset? The very fact that he was angry here shows that he had a love for people.


#3. DISCIPLINE YOURSELF FOR ETERNAL REWARDS

Nehemiah 5:19 says, "Remember me with favor, O my God, for all I have done to all of these people." Why was Nehemiah not caught up in the rat race like all the other leaders? Because he wasn't looking at the temporary; he was looking at the future. These leaders who were misusing their position, abusing their power and misusing their privileges exploiting people, were only looking to get rich. We see politicians today do that all the time.

Nehemiah reverenced the Lord. He loved people. He had his eyes on a future reward.

He's disciplining himself which means he limits his own freedom. If you're going to be a leader, actually rather than your having more and more privileges as you go on in leadership on the leadership pyramid, is there less space or more space at the top? There's less. More is required of leaders, there are more restrictions on leaders. The higher you go in a position of authority, the more is expected of you, the more is restricted of you, the less freedom you really have. You give it up in order for others welfare and benefit.

Leadership Law: Losers focus on their rights, leaders focus on their responsibilities. That's the difference between a looser and a leader. The looser is always saying, "I have my rights!" The leader is saying, "I have responsibilities!"

What motivated Nehemiah to live twelve years in a position of authority, accountable to nobody except God? I think the same thing that motivated Moses. In Hebrews 11 it tells us, "Moses preferred to suffer with God's people rather than to enjoy sin for a little while."

I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course.

DAY #48: 1 Corinthians 10:1-5

BACKGROUND:
This chapter continues Paul’s argument concerning the lifestyle of the believers and the need for self-discipline. Some of the Corinthian believers thought that because they had professed faith, went to church, and joined in the Lord’s Supper, they could then live as they pleased. But this was a false belief, as Paul would show through the example he used from Israel’s history.

A perfect Old Testament example of believing the false notion that one can be saved and then live a faithless, Godless life can be seen in what happened to the Jews’ ancestors in the wilderness long ago. The book of Exodus contains the record of their miraculous escape from slavery in Egypt by the intervention of God (Exodus 1–12). God gave them a leader (Moses), set them free (through great miracles), and then guided all of them as they moved out of Egypt and headed toward the land God wanted to give them (the Promised Land).

God’s presence was with them in the form of a cloud by day and fire by night (Exodus 13:21-22). When they came to the Red Sea, God brought them all safely through the waters of the sea on dry ground (Exodus 14).

Paul was making the point that all of the Israelites experienced the miracles of God’s protection and guidance. Yet, later, so many turned away. Many thought that their place among God’s people assured them the Promised Land. Assuming themselves secure, they refused the life of self-discipline, self-denial, and obedience to God. Because of that, many were “disqualified” from entering the Promised Land.

The Israelites were baptized in that they shared the blessing and gracious deliverance of God. By their experience of passing through the Red Sea, they were united as followers of Moses. The cloud represented God’s presence and glory among them (Exodus 14:19-22), indicating his leadership and protection. The sea represented God’s salvation of his people through the Red Sea as they crossed safely to escape the Egyptians. All of the Israelites experienced this “baptism.” However, the common experience of this baptism did not keep most of them faithful to God in the days that followed.

Further miracles sustained the Israelites as they journeyed through the wilderness. God provided miraculous food in the form of “manna” that came from heaven (Exodus 16:4, 14-31). Miraculous water was obtained from a rock—a provision directly from God. Moses got water from a rock both at the beginning and at the end of Israel’s journey (Exodus 17:1-7; Numbers 20:2-13).

God had performed great miracles for his people, but most of them rebelled against God. The word “most” is actually an understatement; of the thousands who stood at the very edge of the Promised Land, only two men (Joshua and Caleb) had faith enough in God to enter (Numbers 14:5-12, 30). Because of their lack of faith, God caused the people to turn back from the land and wander for forty years in the wilderness. God destroyed them in the wilderness by causing them to wander until they died. This was God’s punishment on them for their disobedience and rebellion.


SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

What is it about us that we forget so easily what God has done for us? Why is it so easy for us to wander off the path? Become apathetic? Get lazy spiritually speaking? WHY??

I think it is because we have failed to introduce spiritual disciplines into our life. We have failed to build healthy spiritual habits - (daily bible reading, prayer life, serving in the church, sharing our faith, tithing, etc..)

We have failed to carry out James 1:22 (NIV) "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."

Today, I'd like you to look back at your life since the first of the year. Why don't you make a list of all the things you can remember from the sermons you've heard, the bible passages you've read and then check to see how many of the things you heard and read were put into practice in your life.

I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. Keep on keeping on.

DAY #47: 1 Corinthians 9:19-27

BACKGROUND:

Paul’s goals were to glorify God and to bring people to Christ. Thus he stayed free of any philosophical position or material entanglement that might sidetrack him while he strictly disciplined himself to carry out his goals. For Paul, both freedom and discipline were important tools to be used in God’s service.

Paul never compromised the doctrines of Scripture, never changed God’s word in order to make it more palatable to people in any given place. He never went against God’s law or his own conscience. In matters that did not violate any principle of God’s word, however, Paul was willing to become one of his audience in order to bring them to Christ.

When speaking to the Jews, Paul conformed his life to the practices of those who follow the Jewish laws, even though he himself was no longer subject to the law (because of his freedom in Christ; Acts 16:3; 18:18; 21:20-26).WHY? To win them to Christ.

Paul’s life focused on taking the gospel to an unbelieving world. Paul’s exhortations for the believers to give up their own rights, to think of others first, to be wholehearted in their focus on bringing others to Christ—called upon the Christians to deny themselves as they looked forward to future reward. Paul compared this to a race, picturing the ancient “games.” The Olympics were already operating in Paul’s time.

Second in popularity only to the Olympic games, the Isthmian games were celebrated every two years at Corinth. Athletes would come from all over Greece, and the winners of the games were accorded the highest honor. To get into the games, and especially to emerge as victors, required that athletes practice strict self-control. Typically, for ten months prior to the games, the athletes-in-training denied themselves many ordinary pleasures. Each put forth his greatest effort during the contest, setting aside all else in order to win the prize.

When Paul told the believers to be like those athletes, he did not mean that the believers were all running against each other with only one actually winning. Instead, he wanted every believer to run in such a way that you will win. In other words, every believer should be putting out the kind of effort for the reward of God’s Kingdom that an athlete puts out to merely win a wreath. Believers, therefore, ought to willingly practice self-control with a focus on bringing others to Christ because they are running toward an eternal prize. They have all already “won”; the prize is not dependent on how they run the race. Because they already are assured of the prize, they should live for God with as much focus and enthusiasm as did the ancient runners at the games.

Paul not only preached the gospel message and encouraged the believers to self-discipline and self-denial, he also practiced what he preached. He also had to live by the gospel, and he also practiced self-denial like the athletes just described. Paul did not run the race aimlessly, nor was he like a boxer who misses his punches. Instead, he kept his eyes focused on the goal, running straight for it, with purpose in every step. He did not allow himself to be sidetracked and he did not waste time becoming lazy. He kept on keeping on.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

1 Corinthians 4:22 says, "Yes, whatever a person is like I try to find common ground with him so he will let me tell him about Christ and let Christ save him." Paul said, When I'm with people I try to become like them in order to reach them. In this chapter in Corinthians, he says, "When I'm with Jewish people I become like a Jew to reach the Jews. When I'm with Greek people I become like a Greek to reach the Greeks. In other words, I build a bridge to where they're at. I don't ask them to come and be like me to become a Christian. I become like them to tell them about Christ. If a missionary goes overseas he doesn't say, "You guys learn my language and I'll tell you about Christ." He says "I'll learn your language." If Paul were in California, he'd say, "When I'm in California to reach Californians I become like a Californian."

We live in San Ramon, Danville, Blackhawk, Dublin, Pleasonton, Fremont, Castro Valley. What are these people like> )Let's call them San Ramon Sam and Samantha)

1. San Ramon Sam is a great guy, a nice guy. He lives here in the San Ramon Valley. But while you were in church this morning, Sam was at home sitting in his back yard by his jacuzzi or pool reading the paper, a can of Budweiser in one hand and watching television. He's a nice guy. He just doesn't know he needs God in his life.

2. He is well educated. The San Ramon Valley is the most educated congressional district in America. There are more college graduates in the San Ramon Valley, in our congressional district than any other district in America.

3. He likes his job.
4. He likes where he lives.
5. He's self satisfied, even smug about his station in life.
6. Health and fitness are a high priority for himself and his family.
7. He like big groups more than small ones
8. He is skeptical of organized religion
9. He is over extended in both time and money

If you were going to design a church to reach San Ramon Sam -- how would you reach him?

Some suggestions: (sarcasm) How about, while COV Sam's in the grocery store, we put a track on his window that says, "Come to church or go to hell!" Would that reach San Ramon Sam?

San Ramon Sam commutes about an hour and a half every day back and forth to work. He gets home at night. His home is his castle. He closes and locks the door, turns on Monday night football, sits down to watch it as he eats dinner. Let's send somebody to his house -- a stranger -- at night and knock on his door, right in the middle of his meal and have him say, "Come to church with a bunch of people you've never met before." Would that reach COV Sam?

How many of you think San Ramon Sam is going to listen to Christian radio? How many think he's going to watch Christian TV? Before he gets all these phony ideas about Christianity, I want to get his attention.

San Ramon Sam gets to hear about Jesus by somebody getting close to him and becoming his friend. Somebody says, "Hey, Sam! You've gotta come to this church. It's incredible. The pastor doesn't wear a robe. You don't even have to wear a suit. They tell jokes. And the music isn't hymns; it's like contemporary pop music. The messages aren't like `Who is the beast in Revelation?' it's like `How do I handle the financial stress in my life?' You're not going to believe this church. Come on, Sam!" That's how 80% of the people who come to Christ do so – they are invited. People told people... "Come check out the good news!"

Sunday morning is geared for you to bring San Ramon Sam. If you're not bringing your neighbors and friends and work associates who don't know Jesus on Sunday morning, you're missing the whole point. That's the purpose of Sunday morning. We use the topical exposition of the Bible on Sunday morning -- like, What does God say about stress? What does God say about marriage? What does God say about worry? What does God say about money? -- to reach nonbelievers. MAKE SENSE? I pray so.

What is our strategy going to be at COV to reach San Ramon Sam?

C.O.V.S.A.N.R.A.M.O.N. (that is also our website address - www.covsanramon.org) 11 principles that will make our church unique. We're not going to go into this in detail but write these things down. We've made an acrostic here. There are eleven things that make COV different from other churches.

C – Creative & Seeker friendly services. We will design church services that San Ramon Sam can enjoy. Even if I'm preaching on a Christian growth theme, he can say, "That makes sense!" So we are sensitive - ... in the way we greet people. We don't embarrass them. We never make visitors stand up and tell us their name. ... in the way we take an offering. A lot of non Christians think churches are only in it for the money. At this church we say, If you're a visitor don't give. We depend on just the tithes and offerings of our members to support this church. If you're a visitor we want you to get something rather than to feel like you have to give something.

O – Opportunities for Every Member to Minister. Not every member's a pastor, but every member has a ministry. Ministry is serving others.

V – Valley Vision Membership. We are part of a thirteen church movement in the San Ramon Valley that collectively is committed to winning this valley to Christ! We know we can’t do it alone, but together, united as the Body of Christ, we can!

S – “SO WHAT” Preaching. Every week, I will ask the question – “SO WHAT?” Basically, what will you do with what you have heard? Why? Well, one of the most important verses in the Bible is James 1:22 "Be doers of the word and not hearers only." Have you ever been to a church service where you heard a sermon, you went out and couldn't do anything about it? Sure. It was a lot of theory or Bible history or Bible background. But there wasn't anything you could apply to your own life and practice it. It wasn't something you could do. At COV, every sermon, every message, every study we have here is not to give you a bunch of head knowledge. The goal is to change your life, change your behavior, help you become more like Christ. That's God's goal for your life -- to help you become like Jesus Christ.

A – A Life Development Process. We have designed a process that will help you grow to spiritual maturity, help you develop your spiritual talents and abilities and help you become a success in life. The goal of this church is not to build big buildings. The goal of this church is to make you successful in your life so that one day when you stand before God He'll say, "Well done thou good and faithful servant." Our goal is to help you become all God wants you to be. We have a process called the Life Development Process.

N – Narrow Strategic Target. COV is not trying to reach everybody. COV is trying to reach people who don't know the Lord. We're not trying to reach Christians who have been Christians for 30, 40, 50 years. Our defined target is San Ramon Sam.

R – Relationships built through small groups. COV will be built on a network of small groups. We want you to grow in your faith by being a part of a large group worship and a small group fellowship.

A - Authentic Leadership. We believe that you lead by serving. In this church, we won’t have a big board that controls everything and has all these power plays. We won’t have a single committee in this church we will have teams led by authentic leaders. They will lead by serving. Our daily prayer: “Lord, keep us holy, humble and honest.”

M – Motivated by Purpose. We are motivated by the idea - the concept that we must build bridges everywhere for people to meet Jesus.

O – Organizational structure will be simple. We will not structure the church for control, but rather growth. We will organize in a very simple manner that can get everyone involved.

N – No one gets left behind. We will create a climate of acceptance. We don't expect people to be perfect in this church. Some churches, you either have to be perfect or pretend you are. Otherwise you're not welcome. This is a church for people who don't have it all together. This is a church for people who want to grow. This is a church for people who are hurting and are willing to admit it. This is a church for real people with real problems. We don't expect unbelievers to act like believers until they are. We offer acceptance of people without being judgmental of them. There's a difference between acceptance and approval. We can accept a person without approving of their lifestyle. Jesus did. Jesus accepted the woman who was caught in the act of adultery without approving of that. It was obviously wrong. But He accepted and loved her without approving of what she was doing.

These eleven letters -- I explained that in about two or three minutes but there's a whole lot more behind this. When you come to COV, it may look like everything's casual and unplanned, but even that's planned. We have a strategy that is highly thought out behind everything that we're doing. My question for you today. Are you with us? Are you with the idea that each of has a responsibility to reach our world for Christ? Who will you invite to COV this Sunday?

I love you guys. Stay Faithful. Stay the Course.

DAY #46: 1 Corinthians 9:13-18

BACKGROUND:

Paul gave two more examples of his right to receive support. It was everywhere understood that those who had sacred jobs (such as serving in the Temple or at the altar) were “working” and therefore derived their livelihood from the job. They did not have to go elsewhere. As part of their pay, priests in the Temple would receive a portion of the offerings as their food (Numbers 18:8-24). This was true in the pagan temples, as well.

Paul’s explanation that God’s ministers should be supported by the churches came as an order from the Lord. The churches were required to honor those who preach the Good News, and those who served among the believers should be supported by those who benefit from their ministry. This command from God allowed traveling missionaries and local ministers to focus entirely on the spread of the gospel and the growth of the church, and not be concerned about making money.

The churches were commanded to support God’s ministers, and the ministers had a right to expect such support, but Paul had never used any of these rights in Corinth because he felt that doing so would hinder the spread of the gospel in that city. Paul did accept gifts from some churches, such as the Philippian church ( Philippians 4:14-19). He must have felt, however, that to take any money in Corinth would have caused some to think he was after money instead of souls! So Paul willingly set aside his rights as an apostle. Paul hastened to add that he was not writing all this in the hopes that now the Corinthians would begin to give him support. Instead, he wanted them to know that he would continue to preach without expecting support.

Paul may have “boasted” in his desire to serve the Corinthian believers freely, but he could not boast about that service. Paul was compelled to preach. This compulsion did not mean that Paul did not enjoy this duty (Romans 1:5; 11:13; 15:15-16; Galatians 1:15-16); instead, it means that, like a slave serving a beloved master, Paul served his Lord by faithfully doing the duties God had given him (Acts 9:15-16).

Paul perceived his call by God as a sacred trust; therefore, he felt that he could freely serve God as an apostle without expecting payment. Far from not deserving to be paid, as his detractors were saying, Paul did not feel that he deserved payment for an honored duty that he had been commanded to do. In this matter, he felt that he had no choice but to serve these believers without financial support.

Paul did receive pay in the form of satisfaction from preaching the Good News without expense to anyone. His pay came in being able to show the genuineness of his love and concern for these Corinthian believers.


SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

As I read this passage this morning, three verses come to mind.

“For the eyes of the Lord search back and forth across the whole earth, looking for people whose hearts are perfect toward Him, so that He can show His great power in helping them.”2 Chronicles 16:9 (LB)

“Keep a close watch on all you do and think. Stay true to what is right and God will bless you and use you to help others.” 1 Timothy 4:16 (LB)

“Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.” Lamentations 3:40 (NIV)

These verses tells us that God is looking for people to use. When Jesus Christ was here on the earth, God did what He wanted to do through the body of Christ physically. And all that God did, He did through His Son, Jesus Christ. But Jesus Christ died, was resurrected and went back to heaven. Today, God still works through the body of Christ. But the body of Christ is you and me. We are the body of Christ. We are His eyes, His hands, His feet. And what God use to do through Jesus Christ, physically, He now wants to do through His spiritual body, the body of Christ. He doesn’t do it through groups but He does it through individuals.

E.M. Bounds who wrote the book The Power of Prayer said “Men are always looking for better methods but God is looking for better people.” Because God uses people. He doesn’t use light bulbs or tents or stages or microphones. He uses people. Paul was one of those people. God used him to change the world, and God wants to do the same in and through you. Maybe God wan't have you change the world, maybe God will have you change the world for one person or one family.

What kind of person does God use in ministry? What kind of qualities make us usable? The Bible says that God is looking for people to use, He’s searching for people to use. I believe that if you will get usable then God will use you in ways you never thought possible.

#1. GOD IS LOOKING FOR HOLY PEOPLE.
Hebrews 12:14 says, “Make every effort to live in peace with all men, to be holy for without holiness, no one will see the Lord.” That’s pretty clear. Without holiness no one will see the Lord. And this is sadly lacking today in our lives, this emphasis on holy living.

#2. GOD IS LOOKING FOR SURRENDERED PEOPLE.
Richard Baxter said “A surrendered life in the hands of a holy God is a fearful thing.” God is looking for surrendered or submissive people. The Bible word for “surrender” when we surrender our total selves to God is the word is the word “broken” or “brokenness”. God uses broken things, broken vessels because that represents something totally surrendered to God.

#3. GOD IS LOOKING FOR BELIEVING PEOPLE
People of faith. People who believe God’s word and they act on it. Hebrews 11:6says, “And without faith it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” Romans 14:23 says, “Everything that does not come from faith is sin.” So obviously God uses people of faith.

#4. GOD IS LOOKING FOR FORESIGHTED PEOPLE.
That means people who not only believe but they look toward the future. God is doing what you expect in your life and He’s doing what you have your eyes on. God says, I want to use people who have their eyes on eternity, having eternal values. Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your mind on things above not on things that are on the earth.”

#5. GOD IS LOOKING FOR PERSISTENT PEOPLE

People that He can use in a tremendous way that never give up. They don’t get discouraged. They’re diligent, persistent, determined. They hang on. Paul says, I press on. I don’t give up. Galatians 6:9 says “And let us not get tired of doing what is right for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t get discouraged and give up.”

#6. GOD IS LOOKING FOR LOVING PEOPLE

This is the number one trait of the New Testament Christians. “See how they love one another.” 1 John 4:7-8 (LB) says, “Let us practice loving each other. For love comes from God and those who are loving and kind show that they are the children of God and that they are getting to know Him better. But if a person isn’t loving and kind, it shows He doesn’t know God. For God is love.”

My question to you this morning: Do you want to be used by God? My encouragement for you this morning: Give God everything. Serve God wholeheartedly. Don't hold back. No half way measures. Go for it.