Nehemiah 13:8

“And it grieved me bitterly; therefore I threw all the household goods of Tobiah out of the room.”

Jesus, speaking figuratively, said if our hand causes us to sin we should cut it off, and If our eye causes us to sin we should pluck it out (Matthew 18:8-9). Essentially, He was saying we should take radical action against personal sin. As the book of Nehemiah comes to a close, we see Nehemiah doing just that. He has seen the devastating effects sin has on an individual and a nation, and decides it is time to take a radical stance against sin.

The people had begun to compromise their relationship with the Lord by getting involved with the “mixed multitudes.” These were people who pretended to be committed to the Lord, but lived after the standards of the world. They would show up at the feasts and Sabbath…

1 Corinthians 1:26

“For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.”

Paul reminded Timothy that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. That was His purpose, His passion, and what He labored diligently towards. After the resurrection, Jesus called His church to be involved in this same purpose. He commissioned men to “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel.” This is the greatest of all vocations and carries with it the highest honor. Charles Spurgeon once wrote, “If God has called you to preach do not stoop along the way to become a king.”

God intends for the work that began with Christ, and was carried out by the Apostles, to continue today through His church. Jesus is still commissioning men to go into the world and preach the Gospel, “As You sent Me…

Nehemiah 10:39

“For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the offering… and we will not neglect the house of our God.”

Much of our life is experience oriented. We save, plan, and prepare for a trip; making sure we get lots of photos, so we can remember our experience, and share it with others. We might even put together a photo album and place it on the coffee table, making it easier to look back and remember the times we enjoyed. Sometimes, we treat our relationship with the Lord the same way. We have an encounter with the LORD, we come forward at church to receive Christ, or recommit our lives to Him. Rather than treating this as a day-to-day ongoing relationship, we simply memorialize the moment. I think it is important to remember, while salvation transpires in that moment in time when we trust…

Romans 16:3b

“. . . my fellow workers in Christ Jesus”

Years ago, I received a letter; I had been selected to be awarded for my accomplishments as a teacher. Upon reading the first paragraph, I was honored and somewhat humbled. My ego was stroked, as I was being told of the great responsibility I was fulfilling by teaching others. However, as I continued to read, I discovered any teacher who was willing to purchase the hundred-dollar, leather-bound book, would have their name listed in it. Even though I knew it was a scam, I was still slightly tempted to have my name in a book honoring me for my accomplishments.

We all love to be honored. We love when our accomplishments are recognized and applauded. We will even sit back and watch as others are honored for their acheivements. It is interesting to me, the things for which…

Nehemiah 8:10

“Then he said to them, ‘Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’”

Chapter 8 brings us to the climax of the book of Nehemiah. After the grueling task of building the walls was completed, the people gathered together to celebrate the Lord. Ezra the priest, stood on the a stage and began reading and explaining the Word of God. One by one the people began to weep as their sins were exposed in light of the Word.

I find it interesting that Nehemiah told the people not to weep. In essence, he was saying this was not a day to weep, but to rejoice. His reason, this was a holy day. The word holy carries the…

Romans 15:5-6

“Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

This chapter contains many prayers of which this is the first. Paul is praying that the church might be like-minded, or rather, have one mind. As we look at the church today we see it is anything but one-minded. Worship styles vary from rock bands to congregational hymns; some churches meet in traditional buildings, while others meet in schools, parks or store fronts. Doctrinally, some churches are Calvinistic, Arminian, or somewhere in between. We have pre-, post- and mid-tribulation teachings, and there are even different views on how to perform a baptism.

Individual Christians, within the same church, also have a wide variety of opinions. From week to week…

Nehemiah 6:8 

“Then I sent to him, saying, ‘No such things as you say are being done, but you invent them in your own heart.’”

The enemies of Judah seem to be constantly thinking of new ways to attack Nehemiah and the work he is trying to accomplish. On this occasion, they wrote an open letter And threatened to send to the king of Persia. This letter was filled with accusations against the remnant of Israel, claiming they were planning a rebellion, and had already selected a new king. The real reason for the letter was to distract Nehemiah from what God had called him to, and get him to spend his energies trying to stomp out the rumors. Instead of reacting to these accusations, he responded with true godly wisdom.

Nehemiah 6:8 “Then I sent to him, saying, ‘No such things as you say are being done…

Nehemiah 5:7

“After serious thought, I rebuked the nobles and rulers, and said…”

Nehemiah serves as an example of godly leadership. He mobilized the people to finish a seemingly impossible task, and did it in record time. He was a man of the Word, as well as a man of prayer, but those things did not mean he wasn’t also a man of careful thought. This is perhaps one of the most neglected weapons in the arsenal of the Christian. It is wise for us not to forget, Jesus told us to love Him with all our minds.

Over the years I have encountered many Christians who make big, life altering decisions based entirely upon their emotions. When asked for justification for these choices, they will often claim it is “the Lord”; almost as if that was a trump card overriding all other considerations. While I am not in…