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Bible reading for weekend January 22--24 Jan 22 -- Nehemiah 12 and Acts 22 Jan 23 -- Nehemiah 13 and Acts 23 Jan 24 -- Esther 1 and Acts 24 "And they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away." (Nehemiah 12:43)  CELEBRATING THE COMPLETED WORK (ch 12). Here we find another list of names (vv 1-26). The Bible is interested in names, genealogies, numbers, and geography because this is real history and is part of the archives of Israel the nation. We must remember that the Bible was written for us, but not to us. This also reminds us that God is interested in individuals and their place in his unfolding plan. King David is remembered by name (vv 24, 36, 45-46). Several times Nehemiah prays, "Remember me, O Lord..." (5:19; 13:14, 22, 31). The story of history is being written, and the most important place where our names should be recorded...

  Bible reading for January 20--21 Jan 20 -- Nehemiah 10 and Acts 20 Jan 21 -- Nehemiah 11 and Acts 21 "Because of all this we make a firm covenant in writing; on the sealed document are the names of our princes, our Levites, and our priests."  (Nehemiah 9:38) THE BEAUTY OF COVENANT (ch 10). We had a very interesting discussion in our young adult Bible study recently about why most couples today prefer to live together rather than get married, and how do we make a case for God's design in marriage. We spoke of the security, stability, sacrificial love, intimacy, maturity, and faithfulness which are possible through covenant marriage. Covenant is one of the most beautiful words in the Bible ! A covenant is a solemn mutual agreement between people or between God and people. It was to be permanent, and was considered more serious than a contract or temporary commitment. When in relation to the Lord the human role had more to do with submission to God, and a pledge of faithf...

Bible reading for January 18--19 Jan 18 -- Nehemiah 8 and Acts 18 Jan 19 -- Nehemiah 9 and Acts 19 "And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, 'This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep.' For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, 'Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.'" (Nehemiah 8:9-10) THE POWER OF THE WORD. God's word was read publicly (in this occasion, likely Deuteronomy) and the people were greatly affected (chapter 8). First it is conviction and sorrow for their failure to walk in God's ways. But then they are called to rejoice, because the Lord is working in their hearts. Worship and more confession follow in chapter 9. One major lesson to take a...

Bible reading for weekend January 15-17 Jan 15 -- Nehemiah 5 and Acts 15 Jan 16 -- Nehemiah 6 and Acts 16 Jan 17 -- Nehemiah 7 and Acts 17 "...they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God." (Nehemiah 6:16)  THE WORK OF GOD. With the Lord, a lot can happen in a short time! We see this in both our OT and NT readings this weekend. In Nehemiah, the Jews complete the wall  around Jerusalem in 52 days.  In Acts, we read that churches have been planted in Samaria, Syria, Asia Minor (Turkey), and now Europe (Greece), within two decades after Christ's resurrection. History records that other apostles were spreading the gospel, for example, Thomas going east towards Parthia and India. But it's God's use of the Apostle Paul and his cohorts that reveals the remarkable move of God toward the heart of the Roman empire.  In both Nehemiah and Acts we see that this work continues despite opposition from without and conflicts from within.  CONFLIC...

Bible reading for January 13-14 Jan 13 -- Nehemiah 3 and Acts 13 Jan 14 -- Nehemiah 4 and Acts 14 ================    "So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work." (Nehemiah 4:6)  LABOR (ch 3).   Principle: the work is divided, and everyone has a part.  Observe the many people involved in this wall-building project. What stands out to you?  What's unusual or unexpected about these people? Here is a diverse group of volunteers placed in various locations, united in their work to benefit the whole. "Diversity" has become a politically-charged word in our culture, but Christians must agree that in God's creation, and among his redeemed people, there is great diversity. Membership in the body of Christ transcends race, gender, class, ethnicity, education, age, party, wealth, and rank. There is one major difference, however, in how the Bible views diversity: the biblical concept of diversity ...

Bible reading for January 11-12  Jan 11 -- Nehemiah 1 and Acts 11 Jan 12 -- Nehemiah 2 and Acts 12 ================    "Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?" (Nehemiah 2:3) REBUILDING THE WALLS. We begin a new book, Nehemiah, about a man who leads the third wave of Jews returning from Babylon to their homeland in the fifth century B.C. A few years previously Ezra made the same trip, and worked on restoring national worship. Nehemiah will focus on rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem for the city's security and dignity. But the central concern for both Ezra and Nehemiah was the rebuilding of God's people. In the first two chapters we observe Nehemiah's prayer (and his heart) for his kinsmen back in their homeland. He embraces his people's failures as his own, and since he is a man of high position in the Persian empire, he asks for success in helping his fel...

We finished teaching our adult elective on Sunday, "Rebuilding Jerusalem: Leadership and Community in Nehemiah."   Did a walk-through and discussion to highlight key lessons and applications by chapter, as follows: 1.   Prayer :   important from first to last.   We need to ask, as we live and/or lead in community, have I prayed about each decision?  Do I see the big picture of God's work of redemption in history?  Do I feel his concerns on my heart?  Do I really believe in God's providential guidance? Am I living in dependence upon him? 2.   Planning :  results in informed and timely action.   Am I adequately informed before I take action, or even before I speak of intended action?  Am I thoughtful, and do I know the task that lies before us?  Have I taken the trouble to get first-hand knowledge of the situation?  Am I bringing others into this information -- and my intentions -- at the right time? 3.   ...

Here's Fred Smith with some lessons from Nehemiah on rebuilding walls (or, recovering from a loss).   The best way to overcome the confusion that comes with loss is to organize it.  A plan dispels confusion.  When Nehemiah got the vision for rebuilding the wall in Jerusalem, he realized the people had lived depressed for 80 years, moping because the wall was down.  How long did it take to rebuild?  52 days! We have fallen walls in our own life that need restoring.  The longer we grieve, the harder it is to begin the restoration process.  Start rebuilding before you make a heavy psychological investment in the loss. Here are four points for rebuilding: 1. Stay constructively busy .  Too many people think they need to head for the islands for a vacation when experiencing loss.  A good friend, Dr. Howard Rome, formerly head of the World Psychiatric Society, once said to me when discussing a severe loss “Fred, stay busy.”  He knew ...

Here are *21 principles of effective leadership that Nehemiah demonstrated in chapters 1 - 2 of the book of Nehemiah: • He established a reasonable and attainable goal • He had a sense of mission • He was willing to get involved • He rearranged his priorities in order to accomplish his goal • He patiently waited for God's timing • He showed respect to his superior • He prayed at crucial times • He made his request with tact and graciousness • He was well prepared and thought of his needs in advance • He went through proper channels • He took time (three days) to rest, pray, and plan • He investigated the situation firsthand • He informed others only after he knew the size of the problem • He identified himself as one with the people • He set before them a reasonable and attainable goal • He assured them God was in the project • He displayed self-confidence in facing obstacles • He displayed God's confidence in facing obstacles • He did no...

And they said to me, "The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire."   As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days. ..    (Nehemiah 1:3-4a ESV) Principles of Leadership from Nehemiah #1 The principle of identification : the leader identifies with the people he is serving.  Nehemiah mourned the humiliation of his ancestral home, the “city of the great King” (Psalm  48:2).  “These are my people, my ancestors, my home…”  Even though he probably had never been to Jerusalem before, he felt the humiliation of being a part of the chastened people of God.  Good leadership begins with feeling – we identify with the people to whom we are sent (or to whom we belong).   Jesus left heaven to embrace our humanity and our humiliation. He too wept over the same city that Nehemiah did, mourning ...

Understanding and Applying the book of Nehemiah... 1)  Nehemiah recounts God’s providence in preserving the people of Israel as a minority in the midst of hostile nations.  In God’s sovereign plan the line of Judah and David would continue, and in the fullness of time bring forth the Messiah to bless the nations (Gen 12:3; 49:10; 2 Sam 7:16; Rom 1:3; Gal 4:4).     2)  "The restoration and rebuilding after the exile prefigure Christ’s salvation (Col. 1:13) and the building of the church (Matt. 16:18; Eph. 2:20–22)."  (The ESV Study Bible ) 3)  Nehemiah shows us what the renewal of God’s covenant people looks like in the promised land.  “The essence of the kingdom is God’s people in God’s place under God’s rule.”  (Graeme Goldsworthy)   4)  Nehemiah gives us a biblical model for leadership .  “What kind of leadership does the Bible present as exemplary?  Even more concisely, what is godly leadership?  T...