Wonderful Jesus!

A Time of Victory!

Luke 24:5-6a-Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! NKJV

They crucified our Savior on the tree and laid Him in a tomb. Everyone thought it was over with. That was the end of the story! But we know differently. While His body lay in the tomb, He was busy dealing with the devil, himself!

And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
Colossians 2:15 NKJV

That’s right! While the disciples were mourning His loss and hiding from the Jewish leaders, Jesus was spoiling principalities and powers and making an open show of them. This is the language of victory!

Paul, as a Roman citizen had probably seen his fair share of triumphs and used this language to describe what happened in the spirit world between Jesus and the spirits of darkness.

During the Roman empire, triumphs were a procession that honored the god Bacchus. When a major battle was won and the war was ended as a result of that battle, a triumph was held. The man who had won the battle would be at the front of the processional that led through the streets of the city on the way to the temple. Following in the procession were the animals to be sacrificed, the spoils of war, and the prisoners that were captured. When they arrived at the temple the sacrifices were offered and the prisoners were slain.
The Encyclopedia Brittanica, https://www.britannica.com/topic/triumph-ancient-Roman-honour

Between the time that Jesus gave up the ghost and the empty tomb, victory was being paraded before the throne of God! The enemy and his principalities and powers were conquered through the shedding of the Blood of Jesus, and while they were thinking it was all over, He was doing His victory parade.

Isaiah uses similar language about His death being a time of obtaining the spoil and having greatness and honor bestowed on Him:

Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Isaiah 53:12 NKJV

A time of victory, not defeat! And it wasn’t over! The women went to the tomb that He had been buried in and yet He was not there! Angels were sitting in the tomb waiting to share the good news:

“Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen!
Luke 24:5b-6a NKJV

He got up! Just as He said He would! He was raised from the state of death and mortality into immortality! What they thought was the end for them, had become the beginning of all things new! And yet, they still did not believe.

It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them.
Luke 24:10-11 NKJV

Idle tales? Seriously? Jesus had told them that He would die and on the third day He would be raised from the dead, and they thought this was an idle tale that Jesus was alive!

Then He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken!Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.
Luke 24:25-27 NKJV

Paul goes into detail about Jesus’ death and resurrection and the people who saw Him:

For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.
1 Corinthians 15:3-8 NKJV

It was a glorious day when Jesus got up out of the grave. It’s imperative that we, as Christians, believe in the truth of this event for all that we hold dear to us is wrapped in His resurrection:

But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
1 Corinthians 15:13-19 NKJV

I know I’m heavy on the scriptures in this blog! It’s not enough to think of an empty tomb! We need to understand that the significance of the empty tomb is the realization that He has truly risen. He’s alive!

I leave you with this thought: do you really believe that? I was in a professional development with my colleagues. We were given an icebreaker that held a question: If you could go back and speak to someone who was dead, who would you go back and talk with? My colleague came to me for that question believing that I would say Jesus and was surprised when I gave him another name. I responded to his surprise by telling him that Jesus isn’t dead! Glory Hallelujah! And that’s the gospel truth!

A time of victory! A time of hope! If you know Him as Savior, you are already rejoicing in this truth. If He is still just a historical persona or someone you are interested in, allow Him to become so much more so that you too can experience this blessed hope. Wonderful Jesus!

Prayer for Salvation

A Time to Shed Blood! Repost!

Luke 22:63- Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him. NKJV

I’ve been building up to this time in the life of the Savior. The crucifixion. All that we read in the gospels about Him is wonderful, until this point. The disciples enjoyed hanging out with Him, watching Him perform miracles while sharing His love with all. They enjoyed Him overthrowing the pious religious leaders and thwarting their rules and regulations. They were having a wonderful time being disciples of the One who carried Himself with so much authority and yet was such a humble man. But they really didn’t understand His true mission:

just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”
Matthew 20:28 NKJV

That was it! His true mission of why He had come to earth was to give His life as a ransom for mankind. And on more than one occasion, He explained what that would look like:

“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.”
Matthew 20:18-19 NKJV

I’ve shared this in detail in my blog, “A Time of Preparation”, but suffice it to say, they heard and yet they still didn’t understand. They were still unprepared for the assault that came against Jesus.

Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him.
Luke 22:63 NKJV

When we see an image of the crucifixion, the body is generally clean with blood dripping from the hands, feet, and around the head of the person on the crucifix. But things were a whole lot messier than that! From the time they got Jesus in their hooks until He gave up the ghost, they assaulted Him drawing His blood!

Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.
Matthew 27:26 NKJV

Although Pilate “washed his hands” of the dealings of the crucifixion, he still had a vital role in it. He released Jesus to the scribes and Pharisees to be crucified after he had Jesus scourged. What does scourging mean?

The Vine’s dictionary gives us a little insight into what Pilate had done to Jesus:

Under the Roman method of “scourging,” the person was stripped and tied in a bending posture to a pillar, or stretched on a frame. The “scourge” was made of leather thongs, weighted with sharp pieces of bone or lead, which tore the flesh of both the back and the breast.
Vine’s Dictionary, http://www.studybible.info/vines/scourge

I saw the Passion of the Christ. I literally cried through the entire movie. My heart ached at the portrayal of what Jesus suffered at the hand of the enemy through the Roman soldiers. It was brutal! There was nothing clean or sanitized about that evening’s events. Isaiah prophesied of that night when he wrote:

He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
Isaiah 53:2-3 NKJV

He was scourged to the point of having nothing of His visage remaining. He was probably unrecognizable after it was all over. Blood was spurting everywhere, landing on the ground, the soldiers, the whips, the bystanders, while His flesh was ripped from His body! No form or comeliness because He was beaten and the whip ripped the flesh where it lay! Jesus! His body was torn apart and His blood ran freely, for us!

And the people rejected Him! They spit on Him, mocked Him, slapped Him around because they saw Him in a weakened condition and misunderstood what was happening.

When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head.
Matthew 27:29-30 NKJV

More blood! Head wounds tend to be bloody, and they pressed that crown of thorns on His head drawing more blood. Precious Blood from His body.

And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified.
Matthew 27:31 NKJV

Let’s read what the Vine’s dictionary has to say about the term crucify:

Crucify denotes, primarily, “an upright pale or stake.” On such malefactors were nailed for execution. Both the noun and the verb stauroo, “to fasten to a stake or pale,” are originally to be distinguished from the ecclesiastical form of a two beamed “cross.”
Vine’s Dictionary, http://www.blueletterbible.org

They crucified Him on a stake. They nailed His hands into the wood, then both His feet together. More blood spilled from a body that was weakened with the loss of blood. We know this because He had to help in carrying His cross:

Now as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. Him they compelled to bear His cross.
Matthew 27:32 NKJV

Blood was everywhere! His Blood! Shed for us! Isaiah the prophet penned these words:

Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.
Isaiah 53:4-5 NKJV

The time had come for Jesus to give His life as a sacrifice for our sins. His blood ran freely as an offering to the Father for those sins. He suffered at the hands of the Gentiles, was mocked, spit upon, ridiculed and beaten, for humanity.

But Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Isaiah all echo the same message: He was rejected of men. You have to admit that He probably looked defeated at this point. It was enough to drive the most dedicated follower to their knees. Enough to send a message of hopelessness. He had been crucified.

But again, we turn to the words of Isaiah:

Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.
Isaiah 53:4-5 NKJV

Things were not how they appeared. What was seen was not the truth of what was happening. Every stripe on His back, and every flow of blood was for our transgression, our iniquities, our peace, and our healing. In the natural it may have been a really gruesome sight, but from heaven’s perspective it was the ultimate statement of love.

On that night, Peter was off licking his wounds, but years later he wrote these words about that night:

who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.
1 Peter 2:23-24 NKJV

His Blood still works! It hasn’t lost its power, and it is readily available to cleanse your sin stained soul and make you whole. If you don’t know Him yet as a Savior, it is time that you surrender to the Master. I have included a prayer for salvation and a song of worship. Receive Him today! Wonderful Jesus!

Prayer for Salvation

A Time of Denial! Repost!

Luke 22:34- Then He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.” NKJV

Relationships are complicated. Just when you think you have seen it all, experienced it all, or heard it all, you can be surprised by the way people interact with one another. I’m reminded of a young man I dated in college. Things were a little more serious for him than for me, because when I decided it was time to go our separate ways he mentioned that he had always thought we would get married. That was news to me because it had never been a topic of discussion, and I saw it for the lie that it was, so I kept it moving.

Years later, after I was married, my husband and I saw him at a conference and I went over to say hello. (Keeping a relationship pure makes it easier to introduce old friends.) Anyway, when I approached him to say hello, he asked me if he knew me! Seriously? It wasn’t twenty years later, it was at most five years later; but still? When I said it was okay and started walking away, his memory returned. Just like that!

Jesus had a similar experience. Of course, my situation didn’t touch my heart, but the situation with Peter touched Jesus’ heart. Peter is reclining at the seder meal with Jesus and the other disciples when Jesus says to him:

“Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”
Luke 22:31-32 NKJV

Can you imagine this scene? Peter and Jesus had a tight-knit relationship and Peter thinks all is well. Then Jesus drops this bombshell that Satan has asked for Peter, and he will leave Jesus. All the disciples are together celebrating the Passover, Jesus has revealed Judas as His betrayer, and now He tells Peter that he will leave Him.

We’ve all recognized by this point, that Peter isn’t a shy person. He’s usually the first one with a comment, and he doesn’t disappoint now. He responds to what Jesus has said to him:

“Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.”
Luke 22:33 NKJV

And in Peter’s mind, he was ready. In a flash Peter may have been remembering some of his experiences with Jesus:

Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves;and He was transfigured before them.
Matthe 17:1-2 NKJV

Jesus welcomed Peter into His inner circle. Peter was on the mount of transfiguration where he witnessed Elisha and Moses talking with Jesus. That was a special time in Peter’s life.

And when the disciples were in the boat and they saw Jesus walking by, Peter asked if he could join Jesus on the water:

“Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.
Matthew 14:28-29 NKJV

And there was the time Jesus wanted to know who the disciples said that Jesus was, and Peter got the answer right, showing that he knew the truth about Jesus:

“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Matthew 16:16 NKJV

I can see how Peter would have taken offense. I can understand how he was looking at Jesus as if He had forgotten all of their shared experiences, and so he said:

“Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.”
Luke 22:33 NKJV

I can see the Savior looking at Peter with compassion in His eyes and His heart as He drops an even bigger bombshell on Peter:

“I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.”
Luke 22:34 NKJV

Peter cannot believe it! Jesus is really embarrassing him now and he is probably not happy. Why would Jesus say these things? How could Jesus even think that he would do such a thing? Never! It will never happen! And yet, it did!

Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest’s house. But Peter followed at a distance….And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, “This man was also with Him.” But he denied Him, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.”
Luke 22:54-57

That was the first time. What is Peter thinking? Oops! I can’t believe I just said that! But he had said it.

And after a little while another saw him and said, “You also are of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!”
Luke 22:58 NKJV

That was the second time. Peter! What’s going on with you man? What are you doing?

Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, “Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are saying!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed.
Luke 22:59-60 NKJV

Luke says that at this point Jesus looks at Peter, and Peter remembers His words:

And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” So Peter went out and wept bitterly.
Luke 22:61-62 NKJV

How could Peter forget what the Lord said? It wasn’t twenty years later? It wasn’t even five years later? It was only hours before that Peter vehemently declared his allegiance to Jesus. Peter had said that he would go to prison with Jesus or face death with Him and hours later, he denies that he even knew Jesus. And Jesus is sitting near when Peter denies Him! The gospels of Matthew and Mark state that Peter even cursed! Can you believe this? Yes! Because it’s easy to point the finger and criticize another. But what about us?

Have we ever denied Jesus in our lives? What about that time your friends talked you into something, knowing that you were a Christian, and reminding you of the same, but you played it off and went and did that thing anyway? Isn’t that a denial? What about that time when you casually said that you were leaving “your religion” at home while you went and did something that you knew would displease Him and that you shouldn’t be doing as a believer? Could that be denial? Better yet, how about the years you have spent away from Him while you’ve been doing your own thing, living life the way that you want to live it? Could you be denying the Savior? I hope not!

When Peter came to the realization that he had indeed denied Jesus, in His presence, just like Jesus had said, he left that place for a different place, where he cried his heart out for what he had done. It sounds like repentance!

But I want to draw your attention back to what Jesus said to Peter at the seder:

“Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”
Luke 22:31-32 NKJV

Jesus told Peter that He had prayed for him that his faith would not fail. Jesus was confident that Peter would return and encouraged him to strengthen his brothers upon his return. He offers you the same opportunity to return to Him that He extended to Peter! Just repent and receive His forgiveness and His acceptance!

Even realizing that Peter would deny Him and that it would cause Him heartache and disappointment, Jesus left Peter with words of encouragement and not condemnation. He wants you to know that His arms are stretched out still! He’s waiting for you! He’s a wonderful Savior! Wonderful Jesus!

A Time of Prayer! Repost!

Luke 22: 39-40- Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him. When He came to the place, He said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” NKJV

Photo by Luis Alberto Sánchez Terrones on Unsplash

There comes a time in all of our lives when a quick prayer just won’t do! A time when we have to fall on our faces before God and cry out with a loud voice because what we are experiencing or we are getting ready to experience is just too much. Such was the place where Jesus found Himself to be on the night that He was betrayed.

Jesus and His disciples had finished the seder meal, He has revealed the betrayer and they are on their way to Jesus’ favorite place of prayer. Judas left to go and report to the chief priests that he knew where Jesus was headed and there would be no crowd around Him. Jesus and His disciples walk over to the Garden of Gethsemane.

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”
Matthew 26:36-38 NKJV

I know of no other place in the Scriptures where Jesus was so vulnerable to His disciples. We don’t have to guess how Jesus was feeling, He told us. As a matter of fact, it appears that He doesn’t want all of His disciples to see Him in this way, because He encourages some of them to wait for Him. Peter, James, and John go deeper into the garden with Him and He tells them,

“My soul is deeply grieved, so that I am almost dying of sorrow. Stay here and stay awake and keep watch with Me.”
Matthew 26:38 AMP

Jesus went a little further and prayed for an hour. One of the things that we know He prayed about was the possibility of not having to face the upcoming events. We also know that He was hurting deeply. Surely, hearing this, His disciples would readily agree to watch with Him.

He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”
Matthew 26:39 NKJV

The entire hour wasn’t spent saying these words over and again “If it be possible, let this cup pass from me”. He didn’t have a singsongy mantra of “Not as I will, but as You will.” However, we know that He was struggling in His flesh because He had already admitted that He felt grieved and heavy with sorrow.

Jesus knew that with God all things were truly possible, while at the same time understanding that there were some things that were not possible. It was not possible for salvation to be extended to humanity without the death of the Savior. It was not possible for the blood of goats and bulls to wash away our sins. It was not possible for redemption without full payment for sins. Therefore, it was not possible for the cup to pass from Him, that is why He surrendered His sorrow and His will to that of the Father.

When He went back to His disciples, they were asleep.

Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Matthew 26:40 NKJV

I find it interesting that Matthew and Mark state that Jesus spoke to Peter. I’m sure you remember that Peter was told by Jesus that he would deny Jesus three times. I wonder if Peter spending time in prayer with Jesus would have given him the strength to say yes instead of no! Peter wasn’t the only one asleep, but he was the one who was told that before the morning arrived, he would deny Jesus!

Before we judge Peter, we should probably all stop and think about the time we faced temptation and weren’t victorious. If we are honest with ourselves, we could probably all admit that we hadn’t taken the opportunity to pray. Jesus tells us the key to avoiding temptation is watching and praying. Watching is simply being alert, and aware of what’s going on, and when we watch and pray, Jesus said that we will not enter into temptation!

Another point that Jesus makes is that the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. If you have been in the kingdom for any length of time, you have probably heard this phrase used as an excuse by someone who had given in to temptation. As believers, we should not be using this as an excuse because we are to discipline our bodies and bring them into subjection (1 Corinthians 9:7) so that our spirit dominates our flesh!

Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.
Matthew 26:42-43 NKJV

Can I be honest and tell you that I find it difficult to pray for a long period of time while sitting? Therefore, when I need to pray for extended periods of time, I pace. I walk back and forth in my bedroom, or in a sanctuary, or wherever because it keeps me engaged in praying and from getting sleepy. Especially when I attend an all-night prayer meeting after a full day of work! So, I get the challenge that the disciples had in staying awake. But, had they prayed with Jesus, He might have gotten His breakthrough faster!

In John 17, we see all the things that Jesus prayed about. He didn’t spend all of His time praying about the challenge of facing the crucifixion. He logically understood that He needed to get on that cross for us. He spiritually understood that without Him dying we would be forever lost! But the humanity in Him didn’t want to do it! Would you have wanted to? Thank God, Jesus pushed past what He felt like doing to what needed to be done!

That is the disciplining of the body that Paul addressed! Our flesh may never feel like doing the right thing. I can pretty much guarantee that it rarely will. But when we develop our spirit beings to control our flesh, and not allow our flesh to dominate our spirit, we will find it can be done! Jesus demonstrated that well!

So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. Then He came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting?
Matthew 26:44-45 NKJV

The third time Jesus went back to pray, He was still sorrowful. But this time something happened while He was praying! He was infused with the power to accomplish the impossible, yet again! He walked away from this time of prayer knowing that He had won in the Spirit what He would now win in the natural.

As I stated in the beginning, there are things that will come our way that a quick prayer won’t change. There are going to be times when we will have to labor in prayer until we have a certainty in our spirit that we win! I believe this is the difference between winning and losing in Christ. Prayer changes circumstances, and prayer changes us! That’s what Jesus’ time in the garden teaches me! You pray until you believe you have met with God, heard from Him, and have received what you needed from God. It’s time to pray like never before! Wonderful Jesus!

A Time of Preparation! Repost!

Matthew 16:21- From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. NKJV

Have you ever been to a gathering where you were asked, “If you found out that you were going to die next week, what would you do?” You try to think of the things that you haven’t done, things you keep putting off, places you haven’t visited yet, to figure out what that last week should look like. Well, no one asked Jesus this question, but one day He announced that He was on the brink of death and got busy!

This is totally contrary to how we think! Let’s keep it real! We really would be the ones making plans for the final week of life. Maybe we would want to gather all the family together and have one last party? Or maybe we would want to slip away with our spouse or immediate family to create those last few memories? In a movie I saw years ago, a woman found out she was dying and spent her final days finding a wife and mother to take her place. (I’m not that woman!)

When Jesus understood that He was at the end of His life, that death was imminent, Matthew said that He began to tell His disciples about what was getting ready to happen. Peter had just finished his declaration that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus had just commended Peter because of this revelation from the Father, and now begins the time of preparation.

From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. (bold and italics are my emphasis)
Matthew 16:21 NKJV

Jesus tells His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem. He tells them that when He gets to Jerusalem He is going to suffer at the hands of the elders of Jerusalem, the chief priests, and the scribes. He elaborates on what that suffering will be when He tells them that He will be killed, and on the third day He will rise. What happens next is both shocking and revealing:

Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
Matthew 16: 22-23 NKJV

What is shocking is that Peter thought he was in a place to rebuke the Lord! Peter had just finished acknowledging that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God! So how do you form your lips to rebuke the Son of God? Peter told Jesus that nothing like that was going to happen to Him! No one was going to kill Him!

What’s revealing about the situation is that when Jesus gave His rebuke it was to Satan! Was he calling Peter, Satan? I think so! The Greek word “santanas” means adversary, and the Greek word for offense is “skandalon” which means trap. When you use these words together in this sentence, Jesus could easily be saying to Peter that he was His adversary, a trap for Him. In other words, you are trying to trap me like an adversary would! And then again, Jesus could easily have been rebuking Satan himself! Who also desired to trap Him. Maybe He was knocking out two birds with one stone!

As Jesus was preparing His disciples for His coming crucifixion He dropped them a hint:

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
Matthew 16:24-25 NKJV

Jesus just finished telling His disciples that He is going to die, and then He brings up “taking up our cross”. He hasn’t yet revealed that He will die on the cross but isn’t it interesting that immediately following His declaration of suffering and dying that He mentions the cross? Maybe it’s just me!

Then Jesus goes to Galilee, and while they are there, He again tells of His future death and resurrection. Notice how in both tellings, Jesus tells of His death, and of His resurrection.

Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up.” And they were exceedingly sorrowful.
Matthew 17:22-23 NKJV

They missed it! They heard that He was going to be killed, but they missed that He was going to be raised from the dead. Because had they heard both parts of what He said, they would have been rejoicing, looking forward to the greatest miracle of His ministry. Instead, they were sorrowful! But fortunately, Peter had learned his lesson and made no comment.

Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify. And the third day He will rise again.”
Matthew 20:17-19 NKJV

Jesus has made it to Jerusalem with the twelve disciples. He pulls them aside and tells them again that when He gets to Jerusalem things are going to change for Him. He will be betrayed to the chief priests and the scribes. They will condemn Him to death. They will deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock, scourge, and crucify Him. And on the third day, He will arise!

This time He gives them more details of His impending death and resurrection! He tells them of the betrayal that is getting ready to happen. The Jews will turn Him over to the Gentiles. The Gentiles will kill Him without a cause. But that’s not what He wants them to focus on. He wants them to realize that the resurrection comes after the crucifixion!

There’s room to shout right here! Baptists love to hear this truth! They get really excited when you start talking about what happened at the crucifixion wasn’t the end of the story! Then they all start shouting about early Sunday morning!! Well, I am not ready to go there quite yet, but it’s hard not to!

For the disciples, this was a time of preparation. Jesus understood the impact that His physical death would have on His disciples. They truly loved and respected Him. They followed Him because they believed in Him. They saw Him do miracles that we have only read about! They saw nature bow to His will and the physical bodies of many respond to His words. So, they needed to be prepared for the upcoming events, that they might know and understand that this was not the end for Him or for them! It was so much more!

Have the situations of life felt like they were overwhelming you? Do you feel like some things have died that you weren’t ready to let die? Have you felt as if the darkness was crowding in and you can’t see your way out? Can I suggest to you that it isn’t over? Not if your trust is in God!

Jesus prepared His disciples for what was to come, and He has been preparing you for this day, also! He said:

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33 NKJV

Wonderful Jesus!

A Time Of Remembrance! Repost!

Luke 22:19 – And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. KJV

We call it the Last Supper, but for Jesus and His disciples, it was the Passover where they ate the seder meal. Personally, I have only served it once, for a Wednesday night Bible study, but I shall never forget it. The congregation was engaged as the seder was shared, and afterward many came forward to taste the items on the plate. It was a time of remembrance, as God had intended.

And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.
Exodus 12:14 KJV

Moses had done as God commanded. He had gone into Pharaoh’s palace and told him to let God’s people go. Pharoah wasn’t interested in releasing the Hebrew slaves. So God released plagues upon the land.

the first plague was blood in the Nile River (Exodus 7:17-18)
the second plague was frogs everywhere (Exodus 8:3)
the third plague was gnats everywhere (Exodus 8:16)
the fourth plague was flies (Exodus 8:21-22 – this is when God makes a separation of His people and the Egyptians by keeping the flies away from Goshen
the fifth plague was upon the livestock, except in Goshen – (Exodus 9:2-3)
the sixth plague was boils on the flesh of the people and the animals, except in Goshen – (Exodus 9:8-9)
the seventh plague was the hail upon the land, except in Goshen – (Exodus 9:18-19)
the eighth plague was the locusts on the land, except in Goshen -(Exodus 10:4-5)
the ninth plague was darkness on the land for three days, except in Goshen- (Exodus 10:21-23)

All of these plagues were attacks on the Egyptian gods. Our God demonstrated to them that He is the only true God. So with the tenth plague, He silenced the god of ultimate power, the pharaoh! And He did it by striking the firstborn of man and beast:

…Thus saith the Lord, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the first born of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts.
Exodus 11:4-5 KJV

Then God told Moses that would not be the case for His people. He was doing something different for His people, He was covering them in the blood:

And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it…
Exdodus 12:7 KJV

This is where the seder meal comes into play. God told them what they were to eat on the night of the Passover forever:

And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
Exodus 12:9 KJV

The seder meal has very specific items included. God told them that they were to kill a lamb, and to roast it. Although there is no longer a lamb slain and eaten, the seder plate contains a bone. It also contains a roasted egg which may represent the lack of the roasted lamb for those who do not prepare lamb for the meal.

God told them that they were to have unleavened bread and bitter herbs. On the seder plate today you will find matza, a cracker like bread that is unleavened. The bread that Jesus took, and broke:

And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
Luke 22:19 KJV

Jesus connects the matza with His body. Unleavened bread representing His body without sin, given or offered for us willingly.

God told them to have bitter herbs. On the seder plate, there are bitter herbs, or horseradish. The bitter herbs represents the bitterness of slavery. With each item they took and placed in their mouths, they remembered the events of the first Passover.

And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.
Exodus 12:22 KJV

Parsely or celery is dipped in salty water, not blood. The green vegetable represents life, and dipping it in the salty water is symbolic of dipping of the hyssop. There is also an apple and nut mixture called the haroset, which represents the bricks the Israelites had to make, this may have been added later.

Throughout the meal they drink from cups of wine. There are four cups of wine at the seder meal. Jesus took up a cup of wine and said:

^{This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.}
Luke 22:20 KJV

For the Jewish nation, the time of Passover is a time of remembrance. They remember the time of captivity, the plagues, the death angel passing over them, their deliverance.

For the Believer in Jesus, not only do we remember that Passover, but we also remember the Passover night when Jesus was betrayed. We remember how He was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities. We remember the Blood that He shed for our sins, pains, and diseases. We remember how they hung Him on the cross between two thieves, and how He died! For us!

Both events are tied together. The blood that was shed on that first Passover in Egypt was symbolic of the Blood that Jesus would shed on another Passover. That first night, God spared the firstborn of every Hebrew who was covered under the blood of the lamb. But on this night, the night that Jesus died, He was the firstborn Son of God. He had a different outcome. He died on the cross so that one day the death angel would pass over us and we would have eternal life.

He was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the earth. His death was a series of horrific events, but He told us that we are to remember these events, just like the Jewish people were told to remember the first Passover in Egypt.

It’s also a great time to remember the day He saved me. The day you were saved. A time to remember that we once was lost, but now we are found. We were blind, but now we see. However, Paul said it like this:

That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
Ephesians 2:12-13 KJV

Rather you participate in the Passover with the eating of the seder meal, or you sit down to Easter dinner with your family, make sure that it is a time of remembrance. We should never forget what He did for us to give us eternal life. We should never forget the Blood that He shed for us. It’s a time worth remembering!

Our daughter played and sang this song many years ago. It has been a favorite of mine ever since! Enjoy Michael W. Smith as he sings “Above All”! Wonderful Jesus!

Getting Things in Order!

Nehemiah 7:2- Then I put Hanani my brother, and Hananiah the commander of the citadel, in charge of Jerusalem, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many. NASB

Have you ever been to a church business meeting? They can be interesting events to attend. I’ve attended meetings where some members acted as if they had a right to try and embarass the pastor or other members of the leadership team. But I’ve also been in meetings with mature believers who were truly interested in the ministry of the church.

What I enjoy most about the meetings are the reports that are given from each of the ministries. Hearing about the souls that have been saved, the successful events that took place, and how the ministry is progressing encourages me to continue to give of my time and finances, and to pray for the success of the ministry.

In the seventh chapter of Nehemiah, we find Team Rebuilders have been busy. In chapter six, the walls are finished, and in chapter seven we find that even more progress has taken place. Not only that, Nehemiah starts addressing the needs of the city, or as some would say, getting things in order!

Now when the wall was rebuilt and I had installed the doors, and the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites were appointed..
Nehemiah 7:1 NASB

After the rebuilding the walls, Nehemiah had the doors installed and appointed gatekeepers. All of this was done to ensure the safety of the people who were living in Jerusalem. After taking care of natural responsibilities, he appointed singers and Levites to direct the people back to worship. For Nehemiah, everything that they had done was for one purpose, to lead the people back to God.

Isn’t that the purpose of ministry? To bring people to God? Whether they have strayed from Him or have never known Him, all that we do in church shoud be designed to bring people into a relationship with God!

Nehemiah doesn’t stop there! He chooses leaders for Jerusalem:

then I put Hanani my brother, and Hananiah the commander of the citadel, in charge of Jerusalem, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many.
Nehemiah 7:2 NASB

Nehemiah chose his brother Hanani to be in charge of Jersualem. Remember that the conspiracy theorist, Sanballat, tried to make it seem that Nehemiah wanted to be king! Hanani is the same brother we met in the first chapter who made Nehemiah aware of the state of Jersualem.

Now it happened in the month Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in Susa the capitol, that Hanani, one of my brothers, and some men from Judah came; and I asked them about the Jews who had escaped and had survived the captivity, and about Jerusalem.
Nehemiah 1:1-2 NASB

As we can see, not only did Hanani share with Nehemiah what was going on, he also made the trek back to Jerusalem to help him rebuild the walls. No wonder Nehemiah decided that his brother should lead Jersualem. Nehemiah had firsthand knowledge of the concern that Hanani had for Jersualem and its inhabitants. He saw the dedication and hard work that Hanani put into the rebuilding of the wall. He was probably a counselor and a huge support to Nehemiah during the entire venture, so naturally Nehemiah thought he would be a great leader.

Sometimes when we see family members working in ministry together, we immediately think that nepotism has to be the reason. And in some cases, that may be true. But what could also be true is that the person is qualified to be in that position. That family member also probably earned the trust of their relative and was placed in the position because of it. Such was probably the case with Hanani and Nehemiah. So, yes, they were brothers, but Hanani brought the need to Nehemiah in the first place, demonstrating his great concern for his brethren.

Hananiah was also placed in charge of Jerusalem as a co-leader. Nehemiah said that Hananiah was a man who feared God more than most and he was also a faithful man. Faithful people who fear God are more valuable than talented people. Only a lot of leaders don’t truly believe that. They often take talented people over reliable people, later regretting it. Whenever I am leading a ministry, I am more interested in a person’s relationship with God and their faithfulness. I’m not interested in giving people positions who have already proven they are not trustworthy, or they don’t truly fear God. I find that kingdom work is too important to trust to people who are not committed to God and the things of God. That’s my personal opinion, but I’m backed by the word!

Nehemiah understood that he had to return to Persia to serve the king. But before he left, he wanted to make sure that all of his hard work would continue on and have every opportunity to be a success. I believe this was the motivation for him getting the affairs of Jerusalem in order. After appointing men whom he respected and who had earned his trust to lead the people of Jerusalem, he turned his attention to the protection of the citizens.

Then I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot, and while they are standing guard, the gatekeepers are to keep the doors shut and bolted. Also appoint guards from the inhabitants of Jerusalem, each at his post, and each in front of his own house.”
Nehemiah 7:3 NASB

Jerusalem now has leaders who will work to keep them unified and focused on God. All of this was important. But Nehemiah knew that there would be others who would want to attack Jerusalem, therefore, he instructed them to keep the doors to the city locked at night and to post guards at the gates to the city and in front of their homes. Sanballat and others like him didn’t want to lose control over the city they had been used to exploiting. They had already tried to destroy Nehemiah, so it was important to Nehemiah that the citizens be prepared to protect themselves from their enemies.

These verses in chapter seven bless me. Nehemiah was a strong, godly leader. As such, he was not only interested in his assignment of rebuilding the wall, but he was also interested in the people of the city. He wanted to provide them with safety, leadership, and protection so that they would have a greater chance of prospering.

The church has many great leaders who have the same heart for the work of God and the people of God that Nehemiah had. They work hard to meet the spiritual, physical, and emotional needs of the people. They fear God and live to be faithful! They are not God, but they take their responsibilities from God seriously, and they have His people in their heart. I know quite a few of these leaders! They are a blessing!

As believers, our hearts response to the leadership of godly individuals should be to support them in prayer and be faithful workers who will get the job done! Tough decisions may have to happen when leaders are focused on their vision; but if we keep them in prayer, support them in the work, and endeavor to be faithful, I believe that God will bless us! Wonderful Jesus!

Conspiracy Theories

Nehemiah 6:6-In it was written: “It is reported among the nations, and ^[c]Gashmu says, that you and the Jews intend to rebel; for that reason you are rebuilding the wall. And you are to be their king, according to these reports. NASB

Conspiracy theories have been running wild since biblical times. And today, the theories get juicier and juicer, and some are pretty dangerous. In 1998, a conspiracy theory movie entitled, Enemy of the State was released. The movie depicted a lawyer who was inadvertently passed information while out shopping. He then becomes the target of a government official who uses the nation’s technology to destroy the lawyer’s life to cover up his crime of murder.

It’s not the government that is the enemy, this movie argues, so much as bureaucrats and demagogues who use the power of the government to gain their own ends and cover their own tracks.
Roger Ebert, Movie Critic, 1998.

This line resonated with me, as I was flipping through old movies based on conspiracy theories because it brings to mind what is at the heart of a conspiracy theory. People who use their power in government to attain whatever their heart’s desire is. Merriam-Webster defines a conspiracy theory as:

A theory that explains an event or set of circumstances as the result of a secret plot by usually powerful conspirators.
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary

This is the situation that Nehemiah finds himself addressing in the sixth chapter. A conspiracy theory. Sanballat and his cronies received word that the wall was built. Unbeknownst to Nehemiah, Tobiah, a close ally of Sanballat, had spies in the camp who reported everything to him (verses 17-19). So when Sanballat heard about the finished work of the wall, Sanballat conspired against Nehemiah.

Four times, Sanballat tried to convince Nehemiah to attend a meeting with him designed to harm Nehemiah, but Nehemiah refused to go. On the fifth time, Sanballat sent a messenger with an open letter. This was significant because it was unusual. Messages were usually sent sealed to keep the contents private, but not this letter. This letter was intentionally left unsealed so that everyone could discover what was written on the inside:

“It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says, that you and the Jews intend to rebel; for that reason you are rebuilding the wall. And you are to be their king, according to these reports.
Nehemiah 6:6 NASB

Sanballat accused Nehemiah of rebuilding the wall to rebel against the king to make himself king of the Jews. He stated that the Jewish people were part of this plot to rebel, also accusing Nehemiah of having prophets to validate him:

You have also appointed prophets to proclaim in Jerusalem concerning you, ‘A king is in Judah!’ And now it will be reported to the king according to these reports. So come now, let’s consult together.”
Nehemiah 6:7 NASB

Sanballat’s conspiracy theory was basically saying that Nehemiah had ulterior motives for wanting the walls rebuilt. Those motives did not include the welfare of the people, but the arrogance of Nehemiah who felt this was an opportunity to make himself king. In sharing this theory with the people, Sanballat was inciting fear in their hearts also challenging their motives for working with Nehemiah to rebuild the walls. They understood that if a message like this reached the king’s hearing, they would experience the wrath of the king. And if that wasn’t enough, Sanballat claimed that Nehemiah had somehow convinced prophets to get on board with the lie that he was king.

Here’s something we need to realize about conspiracy theories. Just because someone has a conspiracy theory, doesn’t mean the theory is truth. Sanballat shared his conspiracy theory in such a way that it was believable. That’s the way these theories work. They could be believable in the right circumstances. Usually. But in this circumstance, it was a conspiracy theory based on lies, and Sanballat knew it as he wrote it.

For all of them were trying to frighten us, thinking, “They will become discouraged with the work and it will not be done.” But now, God, strengthen my hands.
Nehemiah 6:9 NASB

In the movie, Enemy of the State, the official named Reynolds was the bad guy. Reynolds wanted to hide the fact that he had murdered the senator who was against what he was doing. The evidence had been passed on to the lawyer (played by Will Smith) and so Reynolds began using everything at his disposal to destroy the lawyer while discrediting him as a viable witness. The lie was that the lawyer was responsible for everything, when in actuality, the one calling him a liar and a murderer was, in fact, both of those things.

As Jesus cast out demons, the conspiracy theorists (the Pharisees and Sadducees) declared that He was being used by Beelzebub and not God (Matthew 12:24). As Jesus proclaimed the kingdom, conspiracy theorists declared that He was blasphemous and they plotted to kill Him (John 5:18). They had their networks in place and were prospering. Then Jesus comes along and upsets everything. His good became evil in the eyes of the conspiracists, and they ended up calling for his crucifixion! And many of the people joined in with the conspiracy.

Conspiracy theorists did not stop at the cross. I wish they had! They are alive and well! And with the technology that we have today, their message is proclaimed to the masses. Their objective is to support their agenda while wanting us to believe that they are looking out for our interests. And they are oftentimes very successful! (I will not point you to particular individuals, but will allow God to speak to you in that regard; although it took me years to understand that some of my information about Dr. Martin L. King was a result of conspirators).

We, as Christians, should realize that the only agenda that matters is God’s agenda. Last week’s post dealt with the problem of injustice, but this week, I’m looking primarily at the ones who act like Sanballat, talk like Sanballat, and carry themselves like Sanballat-the conspiracy theorists. They try to cause fear to rise up in the hearts of God’s people. They want us to be afraid of the people who they are against. They try to make believers feel ashamed when they won’t fall in with their agenda. And if you don’t get on board with them, they will attempt to see you destroyed!

So how did Nehemiah handle Sanballat?

For all of them were trying to frighten us, thinking, “They will become discouraged with the work and it will not be done.” But now, God, strengthen my hands.
Nehemiah 6:9 NASB

Nehemiah said that Sanballat was trying to frighten them and cause them to become so discouraged that the work would not be completed. Although the walls were finished, there was still work to be done. And Sanballat saw that they were getting things done, and doing so rapidly. Therefore, he devised this conspiracy against Nehemiah to destroy him before the people. But Nehemiah prayed that God would strengthen his hands. Nehemiah did what he always seemed to do when trouble came his way. He prayed. Nehemiah knew what Sanballat was up to, but he also understood that he needed help from God to remain strong against the attacks coming at him and to help the people stay focused on truth!

In the movie, the lawyer, played by Will Smith, needed the help of Brill, a spy, to navigate through the webs the conspiracist had created around him. Together, they got things done! Like the lawyer, we need the help of the Holy Spirit to navigate the lies that permeate our society and are designed to weaken us, distract us, and pump fear in our hearts. Prayer will open us up to His leading. But we have to want to know the truth!

Conspiracy theorists decided that Taylor Swift’s relationship with NFL Kelce is a conspiracy. Conspiracy theorists deny the reality of the Holocaust. And some of them say that mass shootings are fake. Despite the facts they know exist, these theories are being presented as truth! And there are always people who believe them. Even still, that doesn’t make them true!

As we approach the season of voting in America, we need to be prayerful. We need to ask the Holy Spirit to help us navigate through the political conspiracies that are designed to create fear in our hearts, distract us from the kingdom’s agenda, and lose sight of Calvary. We need to call truth truth and lies lies. We need His help to figure out what is a conspiracy touted for personal gain and what is truth! God doesn’t want us to be ignorant!

Again, I am not trying to be political. When I chose the book of Nehemiah, I had no forethought about the topics that I would write about. But I believe that God set this up for such a time as this! Wonderful Jesus!

The Problem With Injustice!

Nehemiah 5:5 – And now our flesh is like the flesh of our brothers, our children like their children. Yet behold, we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters are forced into bondage already, and we are helpless because our fields and vineyards belong to others.” NASB

As I was preparing my mind to write this blog, I realized that I really wanted to address an issue related to Black History Month, while at the same time wanting to continue with my study on Nehemiah. When I looked at Nehemiah 5 and saw that it dealt with the issue of injustice, I knew I was having a Holy Ghost moment!

There are injustices across the world. While we are becoming more “civilized” and more “technologically advanced” today, we still haven’t silenced the voices of injustice! It seems that no matter what we do to make others aware of the injustices of our society, there are always those who benefit from them, and therefore we find ourselves painfully entrenched in the struggle.

Nehemiah was in the midst of his rebuilding campaign. They had already faced several obstacles and were now building and guarding the city at the same time. Before Nehemiah can rest from one serious situation, he is thrown into the fray of another one.

Now there was a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers.
Nehemiah 5:2 NASB

All of Nehemiah’s problems thus far have been from the enemies without the city, but this enemy is from amongst them. The men and women of the city begin to complain about their Jewish brothers. The people they should have felt safe with were the ones they were having a problem with. So what was the problem? Well, there were several.

For there were those who said, “We, our sons, and our daughters are many; therefore let’s get grain so that we may eat and live.” And there were others who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses so that we might get grain because of the famine.”
Nehemiah 5:2-3 NASB

First, there appeared to be a shortage of food for the multitude of people who were now living in Jerusalem. And even with the available food, there was no way to purchase the grain. Their fields, vineyards, and homes were all mortgaged to the hilt.

There also were those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards. And now our flesh is like the flesh of our brothers, our children like their children. Yet behold, we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters are forced into bondage already, and we are helpless because our fields and vineyards belong to others.”
Nehemiah 5:4-5 NASB

If that wasn’t enough to cause despair, their situation was so dire, that their condition in Jerusalem was no different than the Jews who were in bondage in Babylon. They also found themselves, along with their children, to be captives of another. These complaints they brought to Nehemiah because it’s bad enough to have foreigners enslave you, but when the people who are your brethren are enslavers, it’s harder to bear. However, not everyone was struggling because while many experienced oppression, the oppressors were getting richer!

As believers, our hearts should be forever submitted to the cause of justice. Why? Because it’s a command from God:

He has told you, mortal one, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God?
Micah 6:8 NASB

The prophet tells the people of God that they are to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with their God. That rings as true for us as it did for them. We are to do justice! That means we are to the things that promote justice in our realm of influence! Jesus echoed the sentiment when He spoke these words:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the Law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.
Matthew 23:23 NASB

I once heard a Christian say that our responsibility as believers is to promote the kingdom of God. Well, news flash! Justice is a part of the kingdom’s agenda! Always has been, and always will be.

Here we see the people coming to Nehemiah with their complaints of injustices that are thrown at them to the point that life is becoming unbearable. Nehemiah doesn’t look at them at say, “We’re rebuilding the wall right now. That’s all I’m here for. Nothing else! And in case you didn’t realize it, I’m in bondage too! I’m a cupbearer to the king and I have to return to Babylon and live under his rule. You don’t hear me complaining!”

Nehemiah didn’t keep silent, nor did he ignore what was happening since all was well in his heart. He spoke out against it:

So I said, “The thing which you are doing is not good; should you not walk in the fear of our God because of the taunting of the nations, our enemies?
Nehemiah 5:9 NASB

Dr. Tony Evans wrote these words about this verse:

They weren’t walking in the fear of . . . God, and it stained God’s reputation in the eyes of outsiders. Understand that when you are not doing what is right, it makes God look bad. Your job is to make God look good through everything you do.
Dr. Tony Evans, Study Bible

The Jewish people who were placing this heavy yoke on their fellow countrymen while claiming to be the people of God, were in actuality, an embarrassment to God! Wow!

During the Civil Rights Movement and other movements since that time, the Black church was outspoken about the injustices that Black Americans were facing. When Black children and adults are killed in the streets, again, we hear the voices of our Black church leaders. (Not all of them, but a large portion of them!) And from our White counterparts, it’s the opposite. We hear from a small minority of them, while the vast majority of them keep silent. And like in the past, anyone who stands on the side of justice becomes known as evil, and those who stand on the other side are considered to be righteous! When will we become unified enough to stand for justice for all people?

Nehemiah didn’t just tell the people they were wrong for what they did! He led by example by redeeming all he could redeem, sharing his food, and requiring no extra benefits for being the leader; and those with him followed his lead. Then he called for retribution! Yes, he did!

Please, give back to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive groves, and their houses, as well as the hundredth part of the money and of the grain, the new wine, and the oil that you are charging as interest from them.”
Nehemiah 5:11 NASB

Give it back, he said. Everything that you have taken from them, give it back to them! Not retribution again? Yes! No one who has died at the hands of an offender can receive their life back, but there are other ways to make amends. Starting with a heartfelt apology. Those who have become rich as a result of the oppression of others need to make retributions for what they have taken! Give it back! Find ways to support the communities of the marginalized. Find ways to invest in someone other than yourself! Find ways to display the love of God in a hurting world! And mostly, find ways to stand for justice and against injustice! It’s our responsibility!

I am not trying to be political! I love Jesus first and foremost! But I am also not ignorant of the injustices happening around the world and in my city. And since God laid this on my heart, I believe He wanted me at this time to say that the problem with injustices in our world is that they infiltrate the church. A place they should never be welcomed. Jesus said that justice, mercy, and faithfulness should be part of what we do in the church. We shouldn’t ignore injustices or pretend that they don’t exist. They do! And the problem with it is that as long as we keep silent, it will continue to be a part of our nations and our church families. Wonderful Jesus!

Handle With Prayer!

Nehemiah 4:9-But we prayed to our God, and because of them we set up a guard against them day and night. NASB

It’s obvious to any reader of the book of Nehemiah that he was a pray-er. When he heard the news about Jerusalem, he prayed. When the king asked him what was his request, he prayed. And now we’re in chapter four, and we find that Nehemiah once again is praying.

Now it came about that when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry, and he mocked the Jews.
Nehemiah 4:1 NASB

Nehemiah and the Jews were working on the wall with such focused attention that Sanballat and company were not happy. Nehemiah states that Sanballat was actually furious and began to mock them and their work to his countrymen. And if that wasn’t enough, Tobiah joined in criticizing and belittling what Nehemiah and the other Jews were accomplishing. Sanballat and Tobiah were so persistent in their verbal attacks against the rebuilding of the wall that they stirred up the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites in the area who also became very angry at the progress Nehemiah was making.

At this point, many people would feel like they needed to confront Sanballat and Tobiah. Maybe it would be necessary to give them a piece of their mind. Or get involved in a physical altercation, or a lawsuit for slandering their name.

Instead of handling this situation himself, and rising to the bait, Nehemiah did what was obviously his practice, he prayed.

Hear, O our God, how we are an object of contempt! Return their taunting on their own heads, and turn them into plunder in a land of captivity.Do not forgive their guilt and do not let their sin be wiped out before You, for they have demoralized the builders.
Nehemiah 4:4-5 NASB

In other words, Nehemiah wanted God to deal severely with his enemies! He asked God to allow them to become captives in another land. He requested that God wouldn’t forgive them or wipe away their sins because of the grief they had caused the builders. Let me pause and say, this is not how I recommend that we pray for our enemies today! When Jesus told us to pray for our enemies, He wasn’t thinking of this type of prayer where we ask God to hurt our enemies like they are hurting us. Just the opposite! I know this to be true because He led by example:

And when they came to the place called The Skull, there they crucified Him and the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left.[But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”] …
Luke 23:33-34 NASB

Nehemiah didn’t have Jesus’ example, so he had an excuse as to why he and maybe others in the Old Testament prayed the “get them” kind of prayers. But as believers, that’s not how we are to pray for our enemies.

Although Nehemiah prayed, he didn’t stop working. He was there to rebuild the wall, and therefore, they continued working on the wall. As a matter of fact, Nehemiah stated that the people had a mind to work.

So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
Nehemiah 4:6 NASB

This means that despite the opposition, the people had a made up mind to persevere. And so they closed the walls up, making sure they had no gaps in the walls, giving them more security from the enemy.

Now when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repair of the walls of Jerusalem went on, and that the breaches began to be closed, they were very angry. So all of them conspired together to come to fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it.
Nehemiah 4:7-8 NASB

Working in the kingdom of God is not always sunshine and roses. More often than not, it has a way of attracting the enemy. That’s what Nehemiah was experiencing in this situation. He was trying obeying God, and the enemy wasn’t happy. So much so, they wanted to attack the city of Jerusalem to cause confusion in it.

Can you think of a time when you or your church was busy working for the Lord, and the enemy arose to bring confusion? I know I can think of several! You start a building project, and people begin complaining and then leaving the church, placing the project in a financial bind. You are asked to the lead the children’s ministry, that no one else wanted, and all the workers quit because they felt they should have been asked to lead it. You’re working with the youth group, and then someone comes along and convinces the pastor that they can do a better job and you are replaced. No the attacks are not necessarily physical, but they do cause confusion, interruptions, and heartaches. Handle them with prayer!

But we prayed to our God, and because of them we set up a guard against them day and night.
Nehemiah 4:9 NASB

Nehemiah prayed. Nehemiah continued to work. But Nehemiah also had enough sense to realize that he needed to prepare for an attack! Therefore, he called a prayer meeting which led to them posting guards both day and night. However, they still faced some challenges:

And so in Judah it was said: “The strength of the burden bearers is failing,
yet there is much rubble; and we ourselves are unable to rebuild the wall.”
Nehemiah 4:10 NASB

Discouragement comes with intense opposition. It’s easy to understand how overwhelmed the task before them was. In this midst of trying to keep a positive attitude about all the work that needed to be done, they also had to be concerned about their lives and the lives of their families. That can be true today. I can recall more than one building fund that we sacrificed to support, when we needed the money more than the church did. It’s hard to trust when things get personal. But prayer has a way of bolstering our spirits when nothing else can.

Ten times they were told that the enemy planned to attack and kill them. But Nehemiah was confident in the God who had sent him on this journey:

When I saw their fear, I stood and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people: “Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”
Nehemiah 4:14 NASB

If you Google the phrases “fear not” and “don’t be afraid,” you will discover there are over 100 verses in scriptures that tell us that we aren’t to be afraid. God doesn’t want us to be afraid of our enemies. When fear try to overwhelm us, we are to remember the Lord who is great and awesome. We are to remember the countless times He has delivered us from the snares of the evil one. When we are attacked it’s hard to see clearly, that’s why we are to handle these situations with prayer.

Eventually Sanballat and Tobiah realized that Nehemiah was more prepared to fight than they gave him credit for. They saw that the wall was still being built and the people were willing to fight, demonstrating they were more united and tougher than they had first appeared.

This is what blesses me the most about prayer. When tough situations arise, I don’t have to be tough, I can just run to the Savior. He’s tougher than any situation and has already declared victory over the enemy. The next time Satan raises his head to bring pain, confusion or heartache your way, remember to handle it with prayer! Wonderful Jesus!