BibleTrekToday.com

Year: 2010

  • Willing to Die

    Scripture reading for May 15th: Esther 3-4

    The beautiful new Queen is now faced with a dilemma.  A plot to kill off all Jews is going on in the palace and her husband, the King, has signed the edict.  Her uncle Mordecai is fasting and has found a way to warn her and appeal to her for mercy.  How will she ever help her people?  God’s favor is desperately needed!

    Haman was angry that Mordecai would not show him honor by bowing to him.  In his anger, he plotted to kill Mordecai and all of the Jews, people he deemed disrespectful and worthy only of elimination.  The king gave his approval of the plan to destroy the Jews.  A day was picked by casting lots and the day was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month!  (Esther 3:7)  A decree was drawn up and plans were made.  Haman would contribute about 120 million dollars in silver to pay for this operation!

    This plan was what Mordecai had shared with Queen Esther.  She asked Mordecai and her people to fast for three days.   God’s favor would be needed before she sought an audience with the King.  She knew the possibility of death awaited her if the King was having a bad day or felt threatened by her approach.  She was willing to die on behalf of saving her people.  (Esther 4:15-16)

    As we look at this interesting dilemma, we see how Satan hates the people of God.  He is always looking to kill, steal, or destroy them.  (John 10:10)  God’s people are in a spiritual battle that requires spiritual weapons.  We rely on prayer and fasting.  Fasting causes us to be humbled before God and God sees our humble spirit and gives grace.  Prayer asks God to do what we can’t do ourselves.  We are dependent on Him for favor, direction and protection.  As Esther began this process, she became willing to even give her own life to try to spare her people.  This act of humble submission and willing sacrifice would bring God’s grace to her people in a unique way.

    Take time today to check out your spiritual weapons.  Are you resisting the Devil and alert to his plans to kill, steal or destroy you?  Give thanks to the Lord for sending Jesus Christ as His willing sacrifice for our sins in order to save us from hell and death!

  • Beauty Contest

    Scripture reading for May 14th: Esther 1-2

    The story of  Esther concerns a plot by Haman, an official of Xerxes King of Persia, to do away with the Jews.  Hatred of God’s people has been going on for years.  The warfare is a spiritual conflict backed by Satan to kill, steal, and destroy people.  God works behind the scenes to bring about His purposes and protect His people!  God used a beauty contest to place Esther where she could help!

    King Xerxes was a very vain man who loved to party and celebrate.  Along with the partying came drinking and boasting.  He loved to show off the wealth of his kingdom!  (Esther 1:4)  He threw an elaborate party that lasted seven days.  During the seventh day, after drinking much wine, he commanded his eunuchs to bring Queen Vashti, his wife to display her before the nobles.  The queen refused!  (Esther 1:12)  This infuriated the King and he banished her from his presence and began a search for another queen who would submit to his demands.

    King Xerxes wanted a woman of beauty who could please him and so he conducted a beauty contest of a sort.  Women were brought into his harem and had to undergo 12 months of beauty treatments and preparation before being brought before the King.  Many women were gathered and placed under the care of the eunuchs who ran the harem.  (Esther 2:2-4)  Among these women was a Jewish girl named Esther.  She had been raised by her uncle Mordecai and was very beautiful.  Mordecai told Esther not to reveal her identity because the Jews were exiles in the land and he was concerned for her safety.

    Of all the beautiful women being prepared, Esther had favor with Hegai, the harem manager.  When the time came, Esther had favor with the King as well.  God knows how to promote His people to place them where they are needed!

    This interesting story highlights beauty that brought Esther to prominence.  Women who love God and serve Him are given a beauty that comes from His presence and Spirit.  Sarah, Abraham’s wife, was so beautiful that she was desired by kings for her beauty even in old age!  (Genesis 12:11-14)  Peter tells women to let their beauty come from the gentle and quiet spirit of their inner self and he uses Sarah as an example.  (1st Peter 3:3-6)  God’s beauty program is best!

  • Building a Spiritual Legacy

    Scripture reading for May 13th: Nehemiah 11-13

    Nehemiah was known as a man of prayer and a man of integrity and action.  His faith in God and simple trust in God’s word moved him to take some strong actions.  We have a record of these actions in the closing chapters of the book of Nehemiah.

    Nehemiah and the people had finished rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem in a record 52 days.  He celebrated by gathering all the people and leaders and dedicating the wall to God.  He had Levites come from all over the land to purify first themselves, and then the gates, the wall, and the people.  (Nehemiah 12:27-30)  He had all of the leaders go up on top of the wall and assembled two large choirs who would lead in the worship and thanksgiving.  There were also trumpeters and musicians to help with the celebration.  “And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy.  The women and children also rejoiced.  The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away.” (Nehemiah 12:43)

    The Book of the Law was also read that day and it revealed that no Moabite or Ammonite should ever be admitted into the assembly of God because of the curses of Baalam.  They took action to exclude foreigners that day.  Nehemiah found that Tobiah the Ammonite had been given a room in the temple by Eliashib the priest.  He took Tobiah’s goods and threw them out of the temple and had the room purified.  He also found that portions for the Levites were not being distributed and rebuked the officials.  These acts are recorded as a record of a legacy Nehemiah built by obedience and zeal for God’s house! (Nehemiah 13:14)

    Nehemiah also saw men working on the Sabbath and desecrating the Lord’s day.  He warned them against doing what was contrary to God’s Law.  He then ordered the gates of Jerusalem shut as the Sabbath began and not opened until it was over.  The Sabbath day was to be kept holy!  Nehemiah prayed that his zeal would be remembered as a spiritual legacy!  (Nehemiah 13:22)

    Zeal for God’s house and God’s word brings a spiritual legacy!  Check out your life today and see if you can confidently pray that God remember what you are doing as a spiritual legacy!  Treasures in heaven last forever!

  • Promises of Faithfulness

    Scripture reading for May 12th: Nehemiah 8:2-10:39

    Nehemiah knew that the real strength of God’s city would come not from walls of stone around it, but from a renewed commitment to follow the Law of the Lord.  The word of God is a sure foundation for blessing and success and also a strong source of protection when His people are walking in faith.  Ezra the priest and teacher of the Law began to read aloud to the people.  They listened attentively.  (Nehemiah 8:1-3)

    As the people listened, they needed explanation.  It had been many years since they had heard God’s word and some had never heard it.  The people began to weep at the law of God.  Nehemiah told the people not to weep, but to share food and fellowship and rejoice because the “joy of the Lord is your strength!” (Nehemiah 8:10)

    They were reading the law of God again the second day and found that the Israelites were to celebrate the Feast of Booths by making shelters and living outside for a week.  This feast commemorated their deliverance from Egypt and wandering in the wilderness.  They decided to celebrate it. They read from the Book of the Law each day for seven days and on the eighth day had a holy assembly.  There they repented and separated themselves from foreign influences and confessed sins.  A beautiful prayer of repentance is recorded in Nehemiah 9.

    Following this prayer, they made vows to God to maintain purity in marriages.  (Nehemiah 10:30)  They recognized God’s desire for godly offspring and purity of living and worship.  They promised not to buy or sell on the Sabbath and to cancel debts in the seventh year.  (Nehemiah 10:31)  They promised to pay their temple alms and tithes to care for the Levites and the House of God.  (Nehemiah 10:32-37)

    All this commitment was brought about by simply reading aloud the Book of the Law!  God’s word has power to bring change in our hearts.  It brings conviction of sin and reveals the love and mercy of God. The confession was public and the vows of commitment were even put in writing!  (Nehemiah 9:38)  This new commitment brought the joy of the Lord to the people and it was their strength!

  • Confronting Sin in the Camp

    Scripture reading for May 11th: Nehemiah 5-8:1

    Good leaders confront the issues of sin in their midst.  This is not always popular with those who are involved in the sins, but it helps those in the community by bringing justice.  Purity always results in God’s blessings on the people.  Sin brings judgment and heartaches.  Today’s reading finds Nehemiah dealing with the issue of unfair lending practices among the exiles.  Let’s learn how he confronted the issue and brought cleansing and blessing to his people.

    An outcry went up to Nehemiah from people who were suffering because their brothers were taking advantage of them with high-interest loans.  They needed money to pay taxes and conduct their business and even to buy food during a famine.  The nobles with money made them put up their fields and even their children for the loans.  They lost their fields and their children went into slavery.  (Nehemiah 5:1-5)

    On hearing this, Nehemiah became angry with the nobles.  He called a large meeting and confronted the problem openly.  The nobles were quiet because the charges were true.  He called them to cease the interest and return the property and interest.  He made them take an oath that they would follow through with their promise to do what he asked.  (Nehemiah 5:6-14)  This made the whole assembly rejoice and they praised the Lord!

    Nehemiah was the appointed governor and could have taken supplies and taxes from the people as others had done.  But he chose to work on the wall himself. He fed his men and those helping him from his own supplies.  He was compassionate towards those he governed and trusted God for a reward for his sacrifice.  (Nehemiah 5:14-19)

    As we look at this story of Nehemiah’s leadership, we see how confronting the sin of usury openly brought justice and repentance.  This resulted in the people praising the Lord.  Nehemiah did not correct the people and then set a bad example himself.  He was also mindful of his need to help them as an example of a servant leader.  He did not tell them to do one thing and then do the opposite himself.  Living consistently with your talk and walk in agreement brings great power to help others change, too.  Joy results when rulers rule with justice!

  • Rebuilding by Families

    Scripture reading for May 10th: Nehemiah 4-5

    Nehemiah faced a daunting task!  After over 7o years of disrepair, rubble and burned timbers were all that was left of the wall surrounding Jerusalem.  I imagine trees might have grown up and time had taken a toll.  He had a vision of that wall being rebuilt and shared it with the leaders.  They could see it, too, and together they began to work.  Evidently, Nehemiah divided the work between families who lived in the area where the wall would protect them.  The leaders of these families were put in charge and were responsible for their section of the wall.  They found great favor and help from working with those who loved them.

    We find all sorts of people helping with this wall.  You did not need to be a block or brick layer to work here.  We find many common people working together.  Goldsmiths and perfume makers worked side by side with rulers and women.  (Nehemiah 3:8-12)  Priests and Levites worked on the wall as well. (Nehemiah 3:17-22)  This was a cooperative project that took everyone’s attention and effort.

    There is always opposition when God’s people work together.  We find some nobles refusing to work on the wall.  (Nehemiah 3:5)  Tobiah the Ammonite and Sandballat the Horonite were angry and ridiculed the workers, trying to cause discouragement.  (Nehemiah 4:1-3)  Some workers did become discouraged and voiced failure. (Nehemiah 4:10)  Enemies threatened to attack the workers and some Jews were fearful.  (Nehemiah 4:11-12)  Satan loves to discourage and cause division.  We must always be aware of his devices.

    Nehemiah called the workers to prepare to fight as well as to build.  He armed some of the family members and posted guards.  “Don’t be afraid of them.  Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.” (Nehemiah 4:14b)  This was a good fight of faith and God gave strength and courage to the laborers.

    Today we must take this same approach.  God wants each family to work together.  Each church family is also a unit that must build and fight.  There is opposition from the enemy, Satan, and from within from discouragement and criticism.  Good leaders encourage the people and focus their efforts on the mission!  Victory comes when we work with all our heart! (Nehemiah 4:6)

  • Sunday Rest and Reflection:Praying Leaders

    Dear Friends,

    Greetings in the Glorious Name of Jesus Christ!  Another week begins with worship, prayer, and gathering with the people of God.  I pray that you are motivated to gather today to worship!  We need each other and God commands us to gather together, all the more as we see the day approaching of His sudden return.  It could be today!

    As we look back on the last week, I am impressed by the strength of Ezra and Nehemiah as leaders of God’s people.  Their strength is evident in ways that men in our day would not easily relate to.  Ezra was strong because he was a priest and student of God’s word.  He studied and taught the law of God.  He was a man of faith who lived by what he believed and this took him into a place of leadership.  (Ezra 7:10,12)  When you study God’s word and desire to apply it, God gives you wisdom and insight.  He puts others of a like heart around you to accomplish His work.  (Ezra 7:25-28)  God gives you humility and courage to lead the people in repentance when there is a spiritual problem.  Ezra’s holy fit took humility and courage to walk through!  (Ezra 9:3-4)

    Nehemiah was a man with a heart for God and for Jerusalem.  His sensitive heart and willingness to fast and pray took him into a place of leadership he never expected.  His life of prayer opened him to incredible opportunity to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the walls.  His focus on God’s will and direction gave him courage to face opposition and succeed!   His holy burden brought a miracle of restoration to Jerusalem and it’s discouraged people.  The work of God was quickly accomplished to His glory!

    As you gather today with God’s people, listen for the word of God to show you a holy burden.  Begin to pray and seek the Lord, offering yourself to God.  Watch and see what He will do!  Praying leaders are what God is watching for!  Have a great week in the Lord!  In His Love, Pastor John

  • A Holy Burden

    Scripture reading for May 8th: Nehemiah 1-2

    Today we find Nehemiah with a “holy burden” concerning Jerusalem and it’s people.  Nehemiah, was an exile in Babylon, held an important position.  He was cup bearer to the king.  As cup bearer, he was responsible to taste all the wine and drinks that the king received and make sure that they had not been poisoned.  His face reflected sadness as he came before the king, and the king asked him what was wrong.  Nehemiah prayed quickly to himself, then shared his holy burden with the king. (Nehemiah 2:1-5)

    Nehemiah’s burden came from pondering a report about Jerusalem and it’s inhabitants.  It had been some time since Ezra had taken men back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and this work had been hindered by opposition.  As Nehemiah heard about the discouragement, the broken walls of the city and the burned gates, his heart broke for its restoration and deliverance.  He prayed and fasted, confessing sins that had brought about the terrible conditions of the once beautiful city and it’s great temple of the Lord.  (Nehemiah 1:3-7)  He reminded God of His promises to restore His people if they would return to Him.  He asked God for favor with the king as he went before Him.  (Nehemiah 1:11)  This was why Nehemiah was now able to share his burden with the king!

    God graciously turned the heart of the king to allow Nehemiah to go back to his beloved city and work on the walls.  Nehemiah went quietly and surveyed the city walls for himself.  He then shared the plans with the Jews living there and told them of the provision of God and His guidance.  This sparked encouragement and the willingness to begin the work!   There was some opposition from locals who opposed both the rebuilding and the Jews themselves.  Nehemiah declared in faith to them, “The God of heaven will give us success.  We His servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.” (Nehemiah 2:20)

    Prayer is always the place to start when we have a holy burden.  We lay it before the Lord, confess our sin and offer ourselves as a resource.  God takes over and leads us onward.  A holy burden is His heart’s burden placed on us.  Faith then takes us to action that lifts the burden like a balloon filled with helium.

  • A Holy Fit!

    Scripture reading for May 7th: Ezra 9-10

    Have you ever been so upset with a sin or an injustice that you responded with passion and prayer?  Have you ever wept and cried over sin to such a degree that you drew attention from those involved and God?  Ezra the teacher of the Law of God responded with what we might call a “holy fit” when his leaders brought sin to his attention.  “When I heard this, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled hair from my head and beard, and sat down appalled.  Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of the unfaithfulness of the exiles.” (Ezra 9:3-4)

    The sin that set Ezra off was mixed marriage.  The Israelites had just spent 70 years in captivity in Babylon and suffered in exile because of failure to obey God and give Him first place.  Now upon their return to Jerusalem, some were again mixing with the peoples of the area and getting involved in idolatry.  God had told them not to marry those who were not a part of Israel.  (Ezra 9:10-12)  God viewed this a “unfaithfulness” to Him because it invariably brought idolatry and took the family and children away from God.

    Ezra’s holy fit drew a crowd and the convicting power of God and His word fell upon the exiles.  They decided that they needed to repent.  This repentance would involve sending away their wives and children from the mixed marriages!  Most agreed to this but some resisted.  (Ezra 10:11-15)  One hundred eleven men were recorded as obedient to this act of repentance!  What a price to pay and what a difficult thing to do to be right with God!

    When we think about this today, many have not heeded this warning from God.  Many never really consider the spiritual background of the person that they want to marry.  Others find that they married someone who is not truly a believer and they have children with them.  What should be done?  First, we might follow Ezra’s example and humble ourselves and seek the Lord.  Confession of sin brings God’s forgiveness.  Repentance might mean renewed effort to live righteously and seek to win your spouse and lead your children to serve God.  If we have not yet married, we should not marry someone or even consider someone who is not a believer!  (2nd Corinthians 6:14-16)

  • Traveling mercies!

    Scripture reading for May 6th: Ezra 7-8

    We are all on a journey through this world.  Each day we face spiritual opposition from our enemy Satan.  He desires to steal all the riches of our knowledge of Christ and kill or destroy us and our faith.  (John 10:10)  We must prepare ourselves each day to walk with God in His power and guidance to be successful and arrive at His Temple in heaven!

    Ezra had been chosen by the king of Persia to lead this group because he was a priest of the Lord and a man familiar with the Law of God.  God knew that the spiritual foundation of rebuilding His temple would be the most important part. Not only was the Lord’s temple in disrepair, but His people needed a new foundation of truth and obedience.  Ezra was a man known as a teacher who was learned in the law of God. (Ezra 7:10-12)

    Ezra knew that his mission to Jerusalem from Babylon would be dangerous.  The caravan route that his team of leaders must take was full of bandits and most would take armed soldiers if they were carrying valuables.  Ezra’s team was carrying lots of valuables.  In fact, the weight of gold was nearly 4 tons and the silver was nearly 25 tons!  This did not count all the gold and silver vessels that had originally been taken from the Temple and were given by the king of Persia for the restoration.  (Ezra 8:24-27)

    Ezra called his team together for a fast to humble themselves and petition the God of heaven for a safe journey.  He had told the king that the hand of God was upon them and now he knew that they must trust God by faith to protect them.  (Ezra 8:21-23)  Ezra felt that to ask the king for soldiers would deny the God that they served.  God answered their prayer for protection!  All the people and valuables made it to Jerusalem and were weighed in at the temple building site.  The glory went to God!

    Where God guides and His people walk by faith in Him, He provides abundantly.  As you continue your journey through life, remember to be dependent on the Lord each day for His guidance and protection.  We all could use “traveling mercies” for our journey!  May God bless you and keep you this day and make His face shine on you!  (Numbers 6:24-25)