July 2023

  July 13, 2023
  Daily Reading – Neh. 4-6 / Acts 13:29-52

 

 GOD’S WORD:

Nehemiah 6:8 Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.

 

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        Nehemiah was standing in a very good place in his life. If you have been reading along in the book of Nehemiah up to this point, you might wonder how I could say that. Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem, leaders of the Samaritans were constantly opposing him. Not only from outside of the walls being built, but also from within. They were related to some of the Jewish leaders inside through marriages in the families. Some of whom were sending letters back and forth, constantly conspiring against Nehemiah. Also, many had been coming to him with complaints about injustice among the Jewish families. Saying some of the wealthy had been taking advantage of those who were less fortunate. Nehemiah had to deal with this. Pressures from every side. Yet I still say, Nehemiah stood in a very good place.

 

        You see, when the false accusations began flying around about him and the work that had been done, he knew they were not true. He had not compromised with anyone in the work of the Lord. He had sought God on every detail of the building of the wall, but also on the rebuilding of the Jewish culture and their faith in God. The wall God called him to build was being done. The people were following his advice in following God. God was blessing his work. He was leading Israel back to obedience to the law of the Lord. Therefore, his conscience was free from any such false accusations. What a great place to stand. 

 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        What a wonderful place to stand with God, and man. 1 Peter 3:16 says; “Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed…” If you know you are doing God’s will, stand in peace. 

 

How is your conscience?

 

 

  July 12, 2023
  Daily Reading – Neh. 1-3 / Acts 13:1-28

 

 GOD’S WORD:

Nehemiah 3:1 Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they builded the sheep gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Meah they sanctified it, unto the tower of Hananeel.

 

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        Watch a bunch of two-year-olds play for a while and you will notice something. There is often a toy in the middle of the room that has sat there for a long time, and not one child has shown any interest in it at all. Then, one of the two-year-olds finds it to be a fun toy to play with. The next thing you know, all the children want that toy. The toy has not changed from the time you walked into the room. What changed was that they saw someone else with it, and now they want it too. You might be saying, well that is just how two-year-olds are. I believe that is how most adults are too. It is sort of contagious following.

 

        Nehemiah is burdened with the idea that Jerusalem, and the people who relocated there, were not safe. The walls had been broken down and the gates were all burned with fire and destroyed. Twelve gates in all. What a daunting task for one man to take on. However, it would not be so challenging if he could get the others who were there to help him. Many of these people had been there for a while now. The gates and walls were lying in ruin. No one really did much to change that. That is until Nehemiah showed up with a burden for the city and a plan to rebuild it. He laid out a plan, explaining how if everyone built near their homes this could be done. Eliashib was the first to build. He led the way by building the Sheep-gate. Then, as if they all decided they were not going to be outdone, others joined in rebuilding Jerusalem. 

 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        What daunting task do you see in your church, or town. If you begin with prayer, asking God to lead you, you might find that once you start, there is a contagious following. Sometimes all it takes is for someone to pick up the toy in the middle of the room first.

 

What might God have you do?

 

 

  July 11, 2023
  Daily Reading – Ezra 8-10 / Acts 12

 

 GOD’S WORD:

Ezra 10:11 Now therefore make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives.

 

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        Ezra came back to Jerusalem to find that those who had returned earlier had fallen into some of the same sinful practices that had led to their demise in the first place. The priest and Levites who were already there, had married idol worshiping wives. Many of them had begun families with these wives. This was something God had said they were not to do because it would confuse the faithfulness of the hearts of the men and lead them away from the one true God. Sadly, these men did not lead their wives and children to understand and worship their God, which would have been accepted by the Lord, and they could have become Israelites. Instead, Ezra 9:1 says; “…The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations,…” This is exactly what God warned them would happen. They would become the victim of confused faithfulness. The only way for God’s work on the temple to move forward, was to remove the problem from the people.

 

      God still desires our undivided faithfulness toward Himself alone today. He warns against marriage to unbelievers. Against partnering in business with the world. Against forming, lasting friendships with the lost. God does not hate the sinner; He loves the righteous. He is trying to protect us with love from the world’s confusion.  

 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        2 Cor. 6:14 says; “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” 

 

Does it sound like God has changed His mind about this?

 

 

  July 10, 2023
  Daily Reading – Ezra 4-7 / Acts 11

 

 GOD’S WORD:

Ezra 4:2 Then they came to Zerubbabel, and to the chief of the fathers, and said unto them, Let us build with you: for we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assur, which brought us up hither.

 

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        I remember as a boy my dad saying things like, “those are not your friends son, they are moochers.” Another one was, “you have a bunch of fair-weather friends, they will not be there if you really need them.” He was not trying to be mean. He was being a loving father, warning his son about the realities of life. Today, I still find his words to ring true. Some people are not really friends. They are moochers and are just there as long as they can get something from you. Some people only want to be around when things are going great, but when the going gets rough, they are gone. These are counterfeit friends. Sadly, today I also see a lot of Counterfeit Christians.

 

        In Ezra 4:2 some of these fake friends show up. How do we know they are fake? First, these people were brought there by the King of Assyria to occupy the land when the children of Israel were carried away. They had been there for years, yet in all that time they had no interest in building a temple or altar to God. Next, we find them trying to slow down the work being done in verses 4-5. Finally, they sent a letter to the King of Persia asking to have the work stopped. They are a clear picture of the lost world today and the church. First, they infiltrate the church as Counterfeit Christians. Then they hinder any spiritual work with worldly ways. Finally, they attempt try to stop anyone else who is currently serving. Also known as wolves in sheep’s clothing. 

 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        In Ezra 4:3 the people of Israel told them, we can do this without your help. The church today should also say, we can worship without the worlds help. God is not looking for a “New Form of Worship.” What He is seeking are, “Real Friends to Worship.”

 

Will you be God’s Real Friend?

 

 

 July 8 & 9, 2023
 July 8 – Daily Reading – Ezra 1-3 / Acts 10:23-48
 July 9 – NO READING

 

 GOD’S WORD:

Ezra 3:2 Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God.

 

 GETTING INTO GOD’S WORD:

        I can tell you as someone who travels from home for ministry, it is sure good to lay my head on my pillow in my home again. Others treat me with wonderfully, with Christian love and kindness. Their hospitality is grand. Yet there is something wonderful about being home. My journeys are normally about two weeks or less. I call home and talk with my wife almost daily. I send pictures and receive them from her while I am gone. Yet, I still want to come home when I am done. There is also my home church family. I love to preach and sing at other churches. Yet, the people from my home church hold a very special place in my heart that others cannot fill.

 

        The children of Israel, both Northern Israel and Southern Judah, have been in exile for many years. No phone calls home, no pictures from the old homestead. Also, there is the fact that there is really nothing back home, to go home to. Many of the homes had been destroyed and the center of worship, their temple, was demolished. However, one day, God moved on the heart of a lost king, King Cyrus, to send many of them back home to rebuild a temple for the Lord. When they got back, before they began to construct this temple, they had a sacred desire to fulfill first. They knew it was important to build an altar first and seek God’s will in the building. Forsaking God is what caused their exile. They sure did not want to make that mistake again. 

 

 GETTING GOD’S WORD INTO ME:

        We often have good ideas for ministries. Some of the ideas are really great. Yet the best laid plans without God and His blessing, is like putting the cart before the horse. Prayer is the key to all spiritual blessings.

 

What is the ratio of time spent in prayer and that spent in planning?

 

THE WEEK IN REVIEW:

        We should be A Sacrifice Delivered to God with our lives. (Rom. 12:1) Yet man often fails as we’ve seen in:

 

● A Sad Departure
● A Spiritual Duty
● All Suddenly Done
● A Storeroom Dilemma
● A Serious Declaration
● A Sacred Desire

      Knowing the sinfulness of man, God sent His Son, Jesus, to be A Sacrifice Delivered once and for all, for all who will put their faith and trust in Him. Amen!

       Enjoy today with your church and hear what God has prepared in the heart of His man for you this week.

   See you tomorrow.  

 

 SUNDAYS:

       Today we suggest you read and study whatever the Lord has laid on your Pastors heart. Whatever scripture he uses for today’s messages were given to him by God for your specific needs.

July 10, 2023	Ezra 4-7	Acts 11
July 11, 2023	Ezra 8-10	Acts 12
July 12, 2023	Neh. 1-3	Acts 13:1-28
July 13, 2023	Neh. 4-6	Acts 13:29-52
July 14, 2023	Neh. 7-8	Acts 14
July 15, 2023	Neh. 9-10	Acts 15:1-27
July 16, 2023	No Passages Assigned

A Sacrifice Delivered