Commissioned

Nehemiah’s situation compares to Esther’s in that they both were interceding on behalf of God's people. God places his people in strategic positions today in the community, in business, in the military, in government so that they can be intercessors and be the light of Christ in every situation. Our responsibilities to God is to be in communion with Him and know his ways so that we will not be the cause of danger to our positions and our lives.

The basis of Nehemiah’s appeal was that these were God's servants. Nehemiah argued his case before God as seeking protection for God's servants. From this we learned that intercession brings results.

Q1. (Nehemiah 1:1-6) Why does Nehemiah pray day and night for four months? Why does he fast and weep? Isn’t that excessive? Nehemiah prayed day and night for four months because he was seeking directions from God. Nehemiah fasted and wept for the plight of his people. His love for his people and the enemy's evil plans against them were weighing heavily upon him. No it was not excessive. We ought to continue in our prayer and supplication until we've received an answer.

I think Shecaniah’s solution to the people’s sin of intermarriage was as a result of him believing and walking in obedience to God' commands. When presented, the people respond to Schecaniah’s radical solution favorable, except for a few. Ezra implement it not immediately but over a period of time.

Ezra reacted with disappointment when he hears of the sin of intermarriage. He does not react for show. Ezra does not over-react. He grieve over the sins of the people because he had taught them the laws of God. When we don’t grieve over the sins of God’s people our hearts will become harden.

Ezra weighs out the gold and silver vessels when he entrusts them to individuals, and weigh them again when they are delivered to the temple to ensure that the people did not remove any for themselves. Is is an act of distrust and at the same time showing them that there is always accountability. Steps to prevent embezzlement is good for Christian organizations because the enemy will bring temptation. Preventative measures will minimize the opportunities.

Ezra calls the people to fast as a part of them consecrating themselves as they go to God requesting protection on their journey. Fasting does not compel God to answer our prayers instead it brings our body and spirit under control and humbling ourselves before God.

I think the prophecy that says, “They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn” was fulfilled when Jesus was on the cross. Concerning the fountain that cleanses from sin and impurity (Zechariah 13:1), this has also been fulfilled when the blood flowed from our Redeemer for the cleansing of our sins. It will please God so much when all the Jews finally believe in Jesus because He has always called them His children. Every father want to know that his children is safe with him, our God want His children to live with Him in eternity.

God is so condemnatory towards shepherds or leaders who take advantage of their office and exploit the people because they are supposed to be representing him to the people. Jesus’ standard for leaders according to (Mark 10:42-45) is that they be servants even as He came and served. In government, if we followed Jesus’ standard the elected officials would always consider whats best for the people and serve them with fairness. In our workplace we'd always seek to know God's will and follow His directions[ the same is true for the church and home. In all things, let His will be done.

To operate from a policy of mercy and compassion we must have genuine love in our heart for others. God commands justice for the poor and oppressed in our culture, we can we be sure that the poor are treated justly in our courts by letting mercy dictate the judgment being meted out. Aliens in our country, sojourners from another land are treated, for the most part, with fairness and dignity; but at the same time upholding the law of the land when they are found to be illegally entering our country. Speaking truthfully with others is so important to God because he hates liars, in Proverbs one of the seven deadly sins is a lying tongue..

As Christians we tend to make worship about us, rather than about God. This is evident when we disregard some sounds simply because they are not agreeable to our ears. In the Psalms we are told, "Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise" and yet some of us dictate what is an acceptable sound in their presence. We should evaluate our churches and our worship patterns by the manifested presence of our God; when the worship service is spirit-led. To make our personal worship a matter of the heart, and not just rote readings and prayer we should dedicate our self to seeking more of the knowledge of God.

We so easily fall into the trap of trying to do God’s work with our own strength because we think we can do the work on our own. “Not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit” tells us that it is by the Spirit of God the work will be done. This truth should be consciously a priority in my life, so that in all things I will give it over to God.

Joshua’s filthy clothes represent sin. God deal with this by robing him in a garment that represented God's cleansing and forgiveness. The message this prophecy was intended to convey to Joshua the High Priest was that God did not turned away from him, but rather He cleanse and forgave him of his sin. For the Christian leaders who have sinned this message is encouraging for them to turn to God in spite of the sin and be forgiven.

In this passage, the prophet calls all mankind to be still before him showing that they've put their trust in God. In the context of God aroused to protect his people from attack, silence is appropriate in honor of God's presence. God now moves on behalf of His people. For the enemy of God, silence represents a time to in terror, awaiting the judgment of God. For the believer, silence before God represent a recognition of His presence.

A message of repentance from sin is an important part of the Gospel because it teaches that sin separates us from God. When we remove repentance from the core message of Jesus conversion is stunted. The hearers will continue in sin and repentance unto conversion never happens. God wants you to repent of all known sin in obedience to His commandment, live a discipline life and walk in closeness with Him.

Haggai’s image of Zerubbabel being God’s signet should have encourage Zerubbabel because he was being told that God had given him authority. He had received God's blessings to go forth with God's authority. The leader’s signet signifies the power of the leader. The person holding the signet has the power of the leader and is in place of the leader at that moment. Listening to God’s Spirit makes you effective as his agent when you boldly follow His direction. You are authorized to speak and act for Jesus when you speak the unadulterated Word of God.

Today, disciples are defiled by wanting to align themselves to the world and the things of the world. The danger of acting as if doing church work, that it somehow makes us holy by association; is blinding the child of God from the truth. They find themselves in a rut of doing the same thing over and over and feeling good about it, but missing the mark, they fail to seek God and allow the Spirit of God to rule in their heart leading them to the truth and into doing the Will of God. A Believer can deal with spiritual defilement and sin by repenting and seeking the guidance of the Spirit of God to move away from the influences of spiritual defilement and sin.

Discouragement is a common experience. When Joshua was about to take the helm and lead God's people into the Promised Land God give Joshua the high priest this command, "Be strong and of a good courage." God then gave him this assurance, "As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you." Joshua saw how God dealt with Moses and now knows that God will do the same with him, as leader. To deal with my own times of discouragement, God’s command and assurance for me is always, "I am with you always, even to the end of the age." This command and assurance I must keep firmly rooted in my heart, in my spirit; knowing that God is indeed FAITHFUL and will do as He said He will.

God sometimes disciplines us through hardships and circumstances (Hebrews 12:7-11)and sometimes through us not having all that we need; when we are faced with these situations we must be disciplined to trust God. We must rely on the Good Shepherd, that He will provide and meet our need. At the present I am not experiencing any hardship. Today I chose to deliberately have a thankful heart and give God praise, glory and honor for who He is - FAITHFUL.

God displeased with with me when I knowingly disobeys His commandments. God “take pleasure” in me when I am obeying His Word, when I walk in the Spirit and when my worship is in spirit and in truth; no fluff, but genuinely from the heart. There is no excuse for me not serving God deliberately and joyfully. I can make a decision to serve God with my whole heart, mind and spirit; regardless of what is happening around me. It's my choice. Praise the Lord!

Repentance and separation from the sins of our culture for a disciple today take the disciple with a repented heart away from the draw of the immoral and works of Satan to seeking after righteousness and fellowship with God. When we prepare ourselves to worship Jesus in the Lord’s Supper we should do so by repenting of sins and remembering the words of our Lord and the purpose of His death, burial and resurrection. We should prepare to serve God with purity day by day submitting to His Word and walking in obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

When faced with “insurmountable odds,” we sometimes give up so easily when our faith in God is not where it should be. The characteristics of a disciple who retains a robust faith in the God of amazing breakthroughs and impossible solutions is one who lives in the realm of the supernatural where God resides. Leaving the natural, where Satan rules behind.

The enemy is at the heart of removing true worship to God. Unfortunately, some are snared in the plans of the enemy to tamper with our praise, worship and service to God by bringing in selfish desires, modernization, copycat rituals; removing the true and genuine fellowship with God. Jesus to the Samaritan woman that indeed the Father is seeking true worship, "But the time is coming--indeed it's here now--when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way." ) John 4:23. It is Satan's plan to enter into the heart of man to tamper with God's design for the church’s image in the community, to redesign worship and to redesign the preaching. We can be innovative and still be faithful to God’s heart when we are led by the Spirit of God in our praise, worship and service to God.

My personal worship moves toward what it should be daily. The more I thing of God and His consistent faithfulness to being the "I AM", I can never praise Him enough. I join with the angels and give continual praise. Holy, Holy, Holy.

Only some of the Jews chose to return to Jerusalem when given the opportunity because they were homesick and were not comfortable living away from their homeland. Those who stayed were comfortable where they were and chose not to return to rebuild their life in the old homeland. Only some answer Jesus’ call to follow him on his journey to a radically different kind of lifestyle and mission, because like the Jews others want to remain in the lifestyle that they are used to and are enjoying, This they'd rather do than to enter a life that is unknown to them. The characteristics of true disciples is a humble and obedient servant to the commands of God.