REBUILDING THE WALLS - A study on the Book of Nehemiah

 

REBUILDING THE WALLS

 

Nehemiah was one of the many Israelites taken and held captive in Babylon. Somehow and at some point, Nehemiah was appointed to serve in the palace of the king.  When Babylon invaded Israel, they took many captive back to Babylon to serve in their realm while a few Jews were left in Jerusalem after the siege.

One day, his brother, Hanani, and a few other men who were left in the region of Judah came to Sushan the palace. Nehemiah describes his brother, Hanani, as a faithful man who feared God more than most did. (Neh 7:2)  Many in his day did not fear God as they should.  They sinned openly and rebelliously against God’s laws believing God either didn’t see or care.  It was their sins which brought them into captivity to their enemy.   

Nehemiah was concerned about those who were left in Jerusalem and asked Hanani and the other men how they were doing. Sadly, they did not have a good report to bring.  Nehemiah began to weep and mourn as he heard that the walls were broken down and the gates had been burned leaving the people and place vulnerable to wild animals and thieves.  Their protection was gone.

Rather than give up and give in to the thought that there is no hope, Nehemiah began to fast and to pray for several days for Jerusalem. He began to remind God that He is a covenant keeping God who shows mercy to those who love Him and keep His commandments. (Neh 1:4-5) 

Nehemiah began to ask God to hear and to see their affliction as he confessed the sins of all the people. Nehemiah was an intercessor. He stood in the gap repenting for those who were not repenting and pleading for God’s mercies.

Job did the same for his children – repenting for his children in case they were sinning. While each individual must stand before God and give account for their own sins, our prayers of intercession for our family, our children, those within our church may make a difference and bring about a turn around in their lives.  Don’t stop praying for others!

Nehemiah acknowledged that they had sinned by not keeping God’s commandments, nor His judgments or statutes as he repented for every person.   

Commandments are God’s executive order such as the 10 Commandments, keeping of the Sabbath, etc.

Judgments are instructions from God concerning how to handle situations that arise.

Statutes are the requirements God has set describing how to live in obedience to Him.

The people had not been doing what God said to do.  They had been doing what God instructed not to do.  They were not living according to how God said to live. They believed in God, but they were not following God.

Nehemiah acknowledged these sins, repented of these sins, and reminded God of His promise that if they would repent and turn back to living right before Him that He would bring them back to the place where He had set His name (Jerusalem).  He knew it was their sins that had brought them in captivity, and only God’s mercy as they turned away from their sins would bring them out of it.

Nehemiah managed to obtain favor and permission from King Artaxerxes, king of Babylon, to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls.  As he inspected the walls, he was met with opposition.

Anytime you seek to repair the breeches and build the work of the Lord, the devil will stir up those who will oppose and try to stop it.

Anytime you begin to intercede and pray to see strongholds in people’s lives broken, the devil will fight you.  If he doesn’t succeed there, he will attack your family.

Sanballat and Tobiah were dwelling amongst the Jews, but they were not of God’s people.  Instead of being happy and relieved the walls were going to be rebuilt, they were GRIEVED that a man had come to see how the children of Israel were doing.  

Nehemiah became aware of it, so he secretly arose during the night taking only a few trusted men with him and began to inspect where the damage had been done and what needed to be done to repair it. The damage was great but Nehemiah began to encourage the people to work….

Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste,
and the gates thereof are burned with fire:
COME, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem!
(Neh 2:17)

Nehemiah spoke faith: Yes, it seems bleak but GOD IS WITH US!  It can be rebuilt IF we all work together! SO, THEY STRENGTHENED THEIR HANDS FOR THIS GOOD WORK.         (Neh 2:18)  At times, you will need to encourage yourself in the Lord.  Other times, you will need to encourage each other.  They began to speak faith which encouraged not only their own self but also each other. Anything you do for the work of the Lord/the furtherance of His Kingdom is a good work and worth any and every effort put forth.

 

The devil will try to stop you through discouragement…..

Sanballat and Tobiah found someone else to join with them in standing against Nehemiah.  Together, they and Geshem tried to discourage the work being done.  They laughed and mocked and despised the work being done. The Bible does not say exactly what they said but I imagine they said similar things to what people say nowadays to discourage the work of the Lord: “It’s impossible!” “It can’t be done!”  “That’s a waste of the church’s money!” “What do you think you are doing?” “You won’t succeed!”

A parallel thought to go with this: when you start living holy and consecrating yourself to God, people will make fun of and despise you for it.  They are ok if you claim to be a believer, but they do not believe you need to be a follower.  They believe you can call yourself a Christian yet still live however you want to live. That’s contrary to what the Bible teaches.  The Bible is full of instructions of how to live holy and godly in this sinful world.  We are to come out from among them and be separate.

Going back to the work that Nehemiah and all those in Jerusalem were doing: They falsely accused them of rebelling against the king (the laws of the land).  But everyone kept working, speaking faith: “God of heaven, He will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build…” (Neh 2:20)

In chapter 3, we find that each one took a certain section of the wall and worked to ensure that the breech was repaired and the wall rebuilt in that particular section.

The Bible mainly mentions the men who worked on each section of wall, but Nehemiah mentions there were daughters born to a man named Shallum who arose to help their father repair the walls.  (Neh 3:12)  The rest of the women of the city were most likely busy taking care of the children and providing meals for the men as they worked, but there were a few (the daughters of Shallum) who rose up and said, “we can do more!  We will help rebuild the wall, too!”

We saw that happen here at Living Water last year – the men AND the women jumped in to help repair the House of the Lord after the Church flooded.  God sees every effort and every one who strengthened their hands to work, and He keeps record.

 

When God’s people begin to work together in unity, there will be those the devil stirs up to mock and spread discord ….

When Sanballat heard that the walls were beginning to go up, he became wroth (extremely angry; wrathful; violent) and full of indignation.  He began to angrily mock them, trying to stir up the army of Samaria against them…

What do these feeble Jews do?
(tried to discredit their character and ability)
Will they fortify themselves?
(They think they can protect themselves against all of us?)
Will they sacrifice?
(Do they really believe God is pleased with them?)
Will they make an end in a day?
(They think they can finish this work quickly?)
Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish
which are burned?
(It’s a mess!  There is no way they can build what has been destroyed!)

This stirred up Sanballat’s friend, Tobiah, as he began to join in the mockery, trying to weaken their hands from working and stop the work of the Lord....

Even that which they build, if a fox go up,
he shall even break down their stone wall.

Basically, he was trying to make them feel like their efforts were worthless and pitiful and not good enough. Why even try?  The devil is a sly ol’ fox but he shall not prevail.  Keep working for the Lord!  Keep living for God!  Don’t give in or back down!  Whatever you do for Jesus Christ is not in vain.

Rather than fight back with words, Nehemiah took it to God in prayer…

Hear, O our God; for we are despised:
and turn their reproach upon their own head,
and give them for a prey in the land of captivity.
And cover not their iniquity,
and let not their sin be blotted out from before Thee:
for they have provoked Thee to anger before the builders.
(Neh 4:4-5)

Many do not realize what spirit they are of when they try to discourage and stop the efforts of those working for the Lord. They do not realize what spirit they are of when they are sowing discord and gossiping and slandering against the pastor or others within the Church.  The Bible calls it an abomination because it hinders and stops unity between God’s people. (Proverbs 6:16-19) It also may cause someone to be lost.  God hears, it angers Him, and He will deal with them if they do not repent, change their ways, and make things right.

Nehemiah prayed, put it in God’s hands, then they continued to rebuild the walls BECAUSE THE PEOPLE HAD A MIND TO WORK.

We need to have a mind to work and do whatever is needed in the House of the Lord.  Working for the Lord is not just preaching or teaching or music.  Working for the Lord also includes cleaning, mowing, helping with repairs around the building, picking up trash laying around in the yard, church cleaning days, giving of tithes and offerings, helping with fundraisers, any way you can find to help keep the House of the Lord looking nice so it does deteriorate and lie in waste.

And even beyond all that: SOULWINING (Outreach), PRAYING for others and FASTING for the Church. ß That is something each and every person in the Church can do and should be doing regularly for the Kingdom of God.

Just because we pray, doesn’t mean the opposition will give up and back down right away.  Sometimes the battle intensifies and gets worse before it gets better….

Sanballat and Tobiah could see they were not succeeding.  The walls were still going up.  The breeches were repaired. God’s people were unified and working together to rebuild what lay in ruins. Things were not going their way and this made them very angry. So, they began to stir up others to be in league with them to stop the rebuilding of the wall. 

They gathered the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites against them.  The Arabians were south of Jerusalem.  The Ammonites (Lot’s descendants) were east, and the Ashdodites (Philistines) were west.  It looked like they were surrounded by numerous armies conspiring to fight against them. 

The Jews did not let that stop them.  They prayed as they watched and continued building. (Neh 4:9)

The work you do for God/the life you live for God will make others angry.  They will plot against you and stir up others against you in efforts to try to hinder what you are doing for God.  When that happens, fight through prayer.  Watch and pray and continue doing what you’re doing for the Lord!

The devil will try to wear you down and wear you out….

Their physical bodies were already weary from the physical labors of carrying and setting stones one upon another. Now, they had the added mental and emotional stress of watching day and night, night and day to make sure their enemies did not sneak in to slay them.

The people of Judah said, “The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.”  They were basically saying they were dealing with so much extra garbage going on that they were growing weary and couldn’t continue to do what they needed to do.

Have you ever had situations arise in your life that made it difficult to focus and do what needed to get done?  Nights were sleepless and fitful?  You’re wore out physically, emotionally, and mentally?  That’s what the Jews were feeling.

Then to add to their struggle, fellow Jews from nearby came and repeatedly spoke discouraging words to them, basically saying, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.” (Neh 4:12)

Don’t grow weary!  Shake yourself, arise, and fight through prayer! The enemy may attack, but he shall not prevail!

Nehemiah began to encourage and speak faith to them once again, reminding them of the power of the God we serve…

Be ye not afraid of them:
REMEMBER THE LORD, which is great and terrible,
and FIGHT FOR YOUR BRETHREN, YOUR SONS, AND YOUR DAUGHTERS, YOUR WIVES, AND YOUR HOUSES.
(Neh 4:14)

No matter how bleak it looks; no matter how bound by sin your children may seem to be; REMEMBER WHAT THE LORD CAN DO, AND FIGHT FOR YOUR FAMILY THROUGH PRAYER! FIGHT FOR YOUR CHURCH FAMILY THROUGH PRAYER!

2 Cor 5:7 – For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Romans 4:17 – God...calleth those things which be not as though they were.

Mk 11:24 – Therefore I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, BELIEVE that ye receive them, and ye SHALL have them.  

This Christian walk is a walk of FAITH.  If we go by what we SEE, we will grow weary and discouraged. We need to speak things that are not as though they are.  God operates through FAITH.  We must BELIEVE and SPEAK IN FAITH, then we shall SEE!

When the enemies round about heard what Nehemiah said, they became discouraged as God defeated their plans. (Neh 4:15)

Nehemiah kept encouraging the people as they worked for the Lord – some labored physically, others kept watch ready to fight.  He reminded them that the battle is the Lord’s and GOD SHALL FIGHT FOR US!  

And Nehemiah encouraged unity – stand together!  Have each other’s back!  Fight for each other, not against! (Neh 4:21-23)  In chapter 5, he scolded them for mistreating each other and looking at their fellow brethren as a means of monetary gain, causing some to get further in debt. He said, “it is not good that ye do!  Walk in the fear of our God!” If you walk in the fear of God, you won’t do wrong to others.

If the devil cannot stop the progress by discouraging the people, he’ll attack the leader (the pastor) through false rumors….

Nehemiah 6 - The walls were repaired.  There were no more breaches.  But the doors of the gates had not been replaced yet.  The enemy will search and look for any way he can to gain entrance and take control or our lives or the Church.

They saw the gates were not shut.  What area of your life have you left open and vulnerable for the devil to try to gain entrance and build a stronghold in your heart and mind?  Be careful what you allow your eyes to see, your ears to hear, your mind to think upon, and your heart’s emotions to feel.

The enemy came against Nehemiah four times – they knew if they could distract the leader, they could distract and stop the work being done. Nehemiah kept his focus on what needed to be done for God and would not stop.

So, they began to bring false accusations against him – writing letters of accusation and even bringing in a false witness who claimed what was said was true.  They threatened to take this accusation to higher authorities to get him in trouble.   Nehemiah denied it.  He knew they were making it up trying to make him afraid so their hands would be weakened from the work that needed to be done.

Pastors face this more often than many realize.  The devil stirs up people to try to weaken their hands and cause discouragement through gossip, slander, sowing discord, and stirring up others to stand against them. That’s what Nehemiah was dealing with. Some pastors have given up because the battle was too great. (That is one of the things Nehemiah repented for all the people for = being preacher killers! Neh 9:26) But, like Nehemiah, there are some who recognize the hand of the enemy trying to weaken and stop the work God commissioned them to do so they keep working and praying for God to fight the battle for them.  We need to pray for our pastor and all pastors.

The enemy tried to stop him through fear….

Since it did not work to discourage Nehemiah, the enemy stirred up someone to try to cause him to be afraid for his life. (Neh 6:10)  Nehemiah was able to discern that this man was not sent by God.  He knew he would be sinning if he grew afraid and stopped doing what God called him to do.  He also knew who was behind it as he prayed for God to deal with all who were trying to make him afraid. (Neh 6:14)

They continued working and the work was finally finished. All around could see that it was God’s doing. (Neh 6:16)

The city was large and great yet there were only a few people in it, but look what those few people were able to do when they had willing minds and hands that worked together in unity.

 

Many years ago, I wrote a little chorus for a play we did at Apostolic Bible College….

We’ve got one mind, working together for a common purpose.
One goal: to rebuild the House of the Lord.
We’ve got one dream – to see restored what lay in ruins.
We are one people, uniting together for the Lord.

There is power in unity!  Tobiah, Sanballat, and their accomplices united to spread discouragement, slander, and discord.  While Nehemiah spread faith and encouraged unity for the good work of our God.  Be careful what you are uniting for and who you are uniting with. 

Sin in our lives can hinder the furtherance of what God wants to do in us and through us….

God is a holy God and requires holiness from His people.

Nehemiah 7 – 9 - Nehemiah knew this so they began to search what the Word of God said.  Ezra, the priest, stood on a pulpit above the people and began to read from the Book of the Law of Moses to the people.  The Levites expounded the Word in a way that the people could understand. (Neh 8:1-8)

For seven days, the ears of the people were attentive as Ezra, the priest, read for 1/4^th part of the day to the people. Then the people spent the next 1/4^th part of the day confessing and repenting of their sins and worshipping God.  (Neh 8:3, 9:3) During this time, they were also fasting as they humbled their selves before the Lord. (Neh 9:1)

According to research, it is believed 1/4^th part of the day was estimated to be 3 hours.  So, three hours were spent listening to the preacher read from the Law, then three more hours were spent confessing, repenting, and worshipping.  That’s a total of 6 hours per day for 7 days. 

Can you imagine a six hour long Church service that went on like that for seven days?  Many may think: “that is a long time to spend listening to the Preacher and praying!” However, our life is not our own.

We were not created to ‘live life to the fullest.’ We were created to worship God! We are to give Him the attention and time He deserves, yet we all must admit we fall extremely short when we examine how we spend our time. 

 

 

NEHEMIAH CONTINUED SPEAKING FAITH….

Neh 13:1-2 – Nehemiah reminded them about Balaam who was hired to curse them “Howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing!”

God spoke these words to me in the Spring of last year: “Out of the eater came forth meat!” (Judges 14:14) What may appear to be seeking to devour and destroy us will be what strengthens and feeds us!

The water leak on Dec 24, 2022 which caused damage throughout most of the Church turned out to be a blessing.  We were able to repair, remodel, and renovate the entire Church – work that was needing to be done but the Church did not have the funds for. There were even funds left over which helped with the purchase of the house and land in front of us that blocked the view of the Church.

God turned the curse into a blessing!

There are so many lessons we can learn from the book of Nehemiah, but in summary:

·        Keep speaking faith

·        Be an intercessor  

·        Keep working for the Lord no matter the opposition or hardship

·        Strengthen each others hands by encouraging one another in the Lord

·        Stand together in faith and unity

·        Pray for our Pastor – be an Aaron and Hur holding his hands up in prayer

·        Spend more time in God’s presence

·        Get sin out of our lives

and most of all….

·        BELIEVE and SPEAK FAITH for what God is doing and continuing to do in our Church, in our families, and in our community! 

·        God operates through faith and unity!

Are You Conformed or Transformed?

 We can not win the world by being conformed to be like it. 

Definition of conform according to Oxford Dictionary: be similar in form or type; agree.

Romans 12:2 instructs: 

And be not conformed to this world: 

but be ye transformed 

(make a thorough or dramatic change in the form, appearance, or character of)

by the renewing of your mind, 

that ye may prove what is that good, 

and acceptable, 

and perfect, will of God.

Provoke One Another - Hebrews 10:24

 

PROVOKE ONE ANOTHER

 

And let us consider one another
to provoke unto love and to good works:
Hebrews 10:24

 

The definition of provoke means:

To stimulate or give rise to (a reaction or emotions, typically a strong
or unwelcome one) in someone.

To stimulate or incite (cause) someone to do or feel something, especially by arousing anger in them.

Deliberately make someone annoyed or angry. (Provoking can cause someone to become annoyed which can turn to anger.)

The Biblical definition of provoke in this passage of Scripture means:
          G 3948 = incitement (cause to do good) or dispute (in anger)

Looking back over our life, I’m sure all of us can think of a time or possibly many times where we were provoked either as a child or as an adult by another person. 

It may be by a classmate, a co-worker, someone you thought was a friend, or even a family member.

Usually the memory is not a good one. 

The memories could be of someone picking on or taunting us about things we cannot help or change…

* our hair,
* or maybe our ears or nose stick out a little too much,
* perhaps they don’t like the way we smile,
* maybe because our clothes were not ‘in style’ or were very worn because we or our parents could not afford to buy new or nicer things.
* our shoes were not name brand or may have been a little worn because we or our family could not afford to buy a new pair,
* or perhaps we were made fun of concerning our religion and stand for God. 

Sadly, children and even some adults will taunt and sneer, hurling insults at another trying to provoke a reaction. I’ve seen some hurl their insults calmly while taking a jab at another with their words, trying to hurt them and arouse feelings of anger while acting innocent.  Some will even go so far as to try to get others to join in with them. 

PENINNAH PROVOKES HANNAH…

A man in the Bible named Elkanah had two wives – one was named Peninnah and the other was named Hannah. Peninnah had several children yet for some reason, Hannah could not.  Peninnah would deliberately pick at Hannah because of it. Perhaps there was jealousy between the two (the reason why God’s original design was one man and one wife).

The Bible says in 1 Samuel 1:5-7

But unto Hannah he (Elkanah) gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah: but the Lord had shut up her womb.  
And her adversary (Peninnah) also PROVOKED her SORE,
for to make her fret (be violently agitated; to irritate to anger),
for the LORD had shut up her womb.
And as he did so year by year,
when she went up to the House of the LORD,
So she (Peninnah) PROVOKED her (Hannah);
therefore she wept, and did not eat.

To have children was considered a blessing and believed to show a woman had favor from the Lord. Peninnah used Hannah’s barrenness to taunt and take jabs at her.  Yes, Peninnah had several children already, but what no one knew is that God was getting Hannah to the place emotionally where she was willing to give God complete control of her child’s life. God had a purpose for the barrenness.

When Hannah promised to give that child back to God if He would just give her one child is when God opened her womb and blessed her with not just one child but several after that.  God had a purpose and plan for Hannah’s firstborn.  Hannah kept her promise and left Samuel at the Tabernacle to serve the Lord. 

While Peninnah had several children, Hannah gave birth to a Prophet who anointed kings. She may not have been willing to give him back to the Lord if she had not been provoked to desperation.

A person that is provoking another is wrong for what they are doing and will stand before God for it, but sometimes we need to strive to maintain a right heart and see what God will birth from the situation.

JESUS ALSO KNOWS HOW IT FEELS TO BE PROVOKED….

The One who had done nothing but good for others.
The One who had healed the sick, opened blind eyes and deaf ears.
The One who had raised the dead back to life.

The One who performed many mighty miracles and yet in the end, nearly everyone turned against Him.

The crowds of people who once followed Him, feasting on the loaves and fishes were now jeering and screaming, “Crucify Him!”

The soldiers were mocking Him and gambling to see who would get to keep His robe. They were trying to provoke Him….and yet He opened not His mouth. 

Isaiah 53:7 describes the suffering of Jesus Christ…. 

He was oppressed (subject to harsh and authoritarian treatment)
and He was afflicted, (cause pain or suffering)
yet He opened not His mouth:
He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb (silent),
so He openeth not His mouth.

One of the hardest things to do is stay silent when we’re being provoked….. especially when it’s unjustly.   Yet, sometimes that is the best thing we can do.

While most times the word ‘provoke’ is referring to someone trying to provoke another to anger, the Bible also mentions that there is a way to provoke someone in a positive way. 

How can provoking someone be positive?  Hebrews 10:24 instructs:

And let us consider (think about) one another
to provoke (to stir up, encourage, or urge to good)
unto love and to good works:

The word ‘provoke’ in this Scripture is not meaning that we should anger someone, but rather  we should encourage and actually urge in a good way to (1) love others and (2) to do good deeds.

 

LET US CONSIDER ONE ANOTHER

The first part of the verse says to ‘consider one another’ meaning we are to think about others.   

We live in a very self-absorbed day and time. 
People want to brag on their self and talk about their self. 
Compassion and sincere care for others is severely lacking. 

The Bible admonitions us to instead….

…Consider one another…  (Heb. 10:24) and

Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love;
in honour (showing dignity or esteem/respect)
preferring one another. (set forward before someone)
Romans 12:10

The definition of honor means to show dignity or respect. (strong’s G5092)
Preferring means to put or set forward before someone (according to merriam-webster.com)

Abraham was moving around and dwelling with his nephew Lot.  It was becoming contentious between Lot’s herdsmen and Abraham’s. They needed to part ways. Although Abraham was the oldest and although it was Abraham who invited Lot to come with him on his journeys, he preferred Lot above himself when he gave Lot first choice on which direction he wanted to move his family.  Unfortunately, we see the opposite from Lot when he chose the choicest land. (Genesis 13)

In a ‘Me! Me! Me!’ society the Bible admonishes us to put others first.

PROVOKE UNTO LOVE

This same verse (Romans 12:10) also instructs us to ‘be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love’ (meaning we are to have a love for the brethren).

Jesus taught that there is one important thing that will show others that we are His disciples.

He said…

By this shall men know that ye are my disciples,
IF ye have love one to another.
John 13:35

Romans 12:9 admonishes that love is to be without dissimulation - meaning it should not be fake or hypocritical.  It should be sincere. (Strong’s G505)

When we are prayed up and full of the Holy Ghost, loving others will become easier, it will be sincere, and it will be witness to a lost and dying world that Christ lives in us.  It will cause them to see something different in us and can draw them to Christ.

God knows it is human nature (the sin nature) that will struggle with loving others as they should.

Cain hated his brother, Abel, and killed him then hid the body. (Genesis 4)

Leah struggled with feeling like her husband, Jacob, didn’t really love her.  She knew that he loved her sister, Rachel, more for she was the one he wanted to marry in the first place.  Their father tricked him and forced her to pretend to be Rachel.  It wasn’t fair to Leah. Or Rachel.  (Genesis 29:32)

It appears Jacob not only had a problem loving one wife more than the other, the Bible reveals that he also loved Joseph more than any of his other children which created hard feelings between the siblings. (Genesis 37:3-4)

Perhaps this is why God gave the commandment to love (have affection for) your neighbor just as you love yourself. (Leviticus 19:18) And also warned that we are not to hate anyone in our heart. (Lev 19:17)

Proverbs 10:12 warns that hatred stirs up strifes (plural = discord/quarrels): but love covereth all sins (meaning sincere love is going to overlook a lot of faults).

A neighbor is not just the person who lives next door to you.  God used the word ‘neighbor’ to cover everyone whether they are an associate, a family member, a spouse, or a friend.  God commands us to love and show care and affection to others, even strangers, in the same way that we take care of our own self.  (Lev 19:34 + Dt 10:19)

We don’t need to ‘love ourself more’ – we need to learn to love others more. Jesus warned that because iniquity (sin) is abounding (growing and spreading), the love that many have toward others will wax cold. (Mt 24:12) Care, concern, and compassion for others are severely lacking in our world today.

Not only is there a lack of love for others but there is a lack of genuine love for God.  Several times throughout Scripture we find where God commanded that we are to love HIM and keep His commandments. (Ex 20:6 + Dt 6:5 + Dt 11:1,13,22 + Dt 19:9 + Dt 30:6,16 + Joshua 22:5,11 plus many more)

Because loving others and loving God can be a struggle to this flesh, Paul admonished that we should provoke (urge and cause) each other to feel LOVE toward OTHERS.

It sounds like he is teaching that if we see someone not being loving toward another, we should speak up and (provoke) urge them, do what we can to cause them to show love toward that person.

Question to ponder: How can we provoke (cause) someone to love others?

 

PROVOKE UNTO GOOD WORKS

Jesus instructs us to let our light shine before men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father which is in Heaven. (Matthew 5:16)

It was said of Tabitha, in the Bible, that she was full of good works and almsdeeds (giving).  (Acts 9:36)   Everyone who knew her recalled the good works that she had done and her acts of charity toward others.

I Timothy 5:10 lists some categories that fall under good works:

          Raising of children
          being hospitable to strangers
          washed the saints’ feet (in other words, not afraid to do the lowly or
                      dirty work)

          relieved the afflicted (comfort or help out those who are truly in need)

Jesus went around doing many good works. In John 10:32, Jesus asked them, “Many good works have I shewed you from My Father; for which of those works do you stone Me?”

Everywhere Jesus went, He healed the sick, raised the dead, delivered those who were bound and oppressed with unclean spirits, fed multitudes, and even called His betrayer ‘friend’ reaching one more time for His soul.

Paul admonished in Galatians 6:10 – As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

Jesus went a step further and taught in Luke 6:27 – But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you.

That’s a hard thing to do = Do good to those that hate us. Yet, that was what Jesus instructed.  And a very important point was made at the beginning: “I say unto you which HEAR…” Sometimes we ‘hear’ but don’t really listen and follow what is being taught. We must hear and then obey what Jesus is teaching.

1 Timothy 6:18 – That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute (ready to give), willing to communicate (a heart that willing says, “let’s see and discuss what we can do to help someone out”).

There are so many areas that could be categorized under “good works.”

Even inviting and encouraging another to come to Church is a good work.

Hebrews 10:24 admonishes us to provoke unto good works then the following verse (vs 25) admonishes us to encourage and push each other to be faithful to Church….and even more as we see the return of Christ drawing near.

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together,
as the manner of some is;
but exhorting one another:
and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

While we do need to be wise so that we do not push someone further away from the Church, we should not shy away from encouraging others to be faithful to Church attendance.  Jesus is coming soon.  We want to make it to heaven and we want others to make it to heaven along side us.  

In a world that is full of those who are provoking others in a negative way, let’s work to provoke (strongly encourage and cause) others to love as Christ loves and do good works.

Question to ponder: How can we provoke (cause) someone to do good works?

 

 

Ephesians 4:29,31, 32

Ephesians 4 (KJV)

²⁹ Let no corrupt communication (rotten, worthless)

proceed out of your mouth, 

but that which is good to the use of edifying, 

that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

³¹ Let all bitterness, (poison)

and wrath, (fierce anger)

and anger, (strong feeling of hostility)

and clamour, (shouting)

and evil speaking, (vilification, spread nasty stories about another; i.e. gossip, slander)

be put away from you, 

with all malice: (intention or desire to do ill will toward another)

³² And be ye kind one to another, 

tenderhearted, 

forgiving one another, 

even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

BELIEVER VS FOLLOWER - Is There A Difference?

BELIEVER VS FOLLOWER - Is There A Difference?

The term ‘I’m a Believer’ is thrown around loosely by many.  Many will claim to be a ‘believer.’

What is a ‘believer’? Let’s look at what the word ‘believer’ means: “a person who believes that a specified thing is effective, proper, or desirable.” For example: A person can firmly believe that everything happens for a reason. It’s what they believe to be true.

But sometimes what a person believes can be false.  They may adamantly believe it and will even fight to defend that belief, but what they are believing is a lie. (For example: there are some who believe a male can be a female and vice versa despite the fact that their DNA and bone structure will reveal far beyond death which gender they are besides other scientific facts. They are a firm believer and yet their belief is inaccurate.  It’s not based on facts.)

As Christians, the Bible uses the term ‘Believer’ to describe those who Believe Jesus Christ is the Messiah. The term is first found in Acts 5:14… “And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.”

It’s often thought that a Christian’s faith is based upon a BELIEF in Jesus…which is mainly what many focus on.

And yet a Christian’s faith is also about FOLLOWING Jesus….which you don’t hear mentioned as much.

What is the difference between following and believing? Aren’t they both the same? Not exactly.

The definition of ‘Follower’ according to merriam-webster means an adherent, disciple, or devotee of a particular person, cause or activity. A follower has a close and persistent attachment to the one they are following.

Dictionary.com defines a follower as a person who follows another in regard to their ideas or belief. They are a disciple.

Brittanica.com explains it as: someone who supports and is guided by another person or by a group, religion, etc.  They are loyal/faithful followers.

Social media has blurred the true definition of what a follower is.  Some will ‘follow’ another person or page on social media, yet many of those ‘followers’ do not have a close attachment to that person/page.  They are more-so following just to find out what is going on, not because they are a true devoted follower. 

There have been many who have become followers of the wrong thing/wrong person.  (We can look at history to find many examples.)

In several Scriptures, Jesus instructed us to ‘follow’ Him. (Mt 4:19, 8:22, 9:9, 16:24 + Mk 8:34, 10:21)  So, what does it mean to follow Jesus?

When you were a kid, did you ever play ‘follow the leader’? Those following had to go wherever the leader led and do whatever the leader did, whether it was climbing over a log, hopping on one leg, or spinning as you walked.  You mimicked what the leader did.  You imitated their behavior or copied what they said.  You were following the leader.

In the same way, as we follow Jesus: we are going to go wherever He leads; we are going to do whatever He tells us to do; we are going to talk in the way He instructs us to talk.  

A person may claim they ‘Believe,’ but if that is all they do (believe in Jesus) yet they do not go beyond that to truly ‘follow’ Jesus by ‘doing’ what Jesus says, they are stuck at the first level of what it takes to follow Jesus.

Believing is the first thing we must do when we come to Christ, because how can you follow Christ except you first ‘believe’ on Him?

While believing and following can relate to one another, they are slightly different.  BELIEVING is more-so about what you THINK.  While FOLLOWING is more-so about what you DO.

For example: a person can BELIEVE (think) exercising is a good habit to have and that every person should exercise regularly.  And while they may walk or participate in an activity once in a while, they do not regularly or faithfully exercise.  They believe a person should yet they are not doing what they believe.

While following is more about what you DO: They know they need to do more than just believe exercise is good for the body.  They understand they need to put that belief into action, therefore, they will exercise regularly.

So, when Christians say that they BELIEVE in Jesus, they are saying that they believe that Jesus is the Christ, our Savior.  Many will agree and say they believe that as well.

Whereas, Christians who FOLLOW Jesus are saying that they are trying to adhere to Jesus’ teachings, obey what the Bible says, and to actually behave as Jesus instructs.

Can’t a person just ‘BELIEVE’?  Isn’t being a BELIEVER enough?

After all, Jesus warned in John 8:24, “…if ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins.”

Yes, Jesus did say we must ‘believe,’ but the devils believe as well and tremble, yet they are not saved. (James 2:19)

Jesus taught in Mark 16:16: He that believeth AND IS BAPTIZED shall be saved. And He warned that anyone who doesn’t believe will be lost. We must believe FIRST.  Then, Jesus is requiring an action AFTER believing.  He instructed we must believe FIRST, and after we believe we are to be baptized.

Jesus went on to teach that there are to be signs that FOLLOW Believers (vs 17-18).  Jesus said Believers SHALL: cast out devils, speak with new tongues, lay hands on the sick (to pray for them), etc.  Notice that all these things are ACTIONS that should FOLLOW every BELIEVER.  These are things that BELIEVERS should be DOING.

A BELIEVER should also be a FOLLOWER (a DOER) as well.

James 1:22-25 instructs: But be ye DOERS of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.  For if any man is a HEARER of the Word, and NOT a DOER, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass (mirror): For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and CONTINUETH therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, BUT A DOER of the WORK, this man shall be blessed in his DEED.

If a person believes yet they do not DO what the Word teaches, they are deceiving their own selves. We are to be DOERS (Followers), as well as HEARERS (Believers).

Have you ever told your child to do something, but they don’t move to obey? You instruct them to clean their room, yet when you check a little later to see the progress, you find they have not done anything.  You ask, “Did you hear me???”  They heard but they were not a doer. 

 

 

In the same way, we can HEAR the preacher or teacher when they teach the Bible but if we don’t DO what the Bible says, we are disobeying God and there will be consequences in the end.

Jesus warned in Matthew 7:21 – Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter in to the Kingdom of Heaven; BUT HE THAT DOETH THE WILL OF MY FATHER which is in Heaven.

Jesus is teaching in this passage of Scripture that it takes more than just calling Him ‘Lord.’ It takes obedience and action = DOING the WILL of God. If you believe He truly is Lord, you will DO what it takes to please Him.

Jesus again warned in Matthew 7:26-27 – And every one that HEARETH these sayings of Mine, and DOETH them NOT, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and IT FELL: and GREAT WAS THE FALL OF IT.

A person may hear, but Jesus said if they do not DO what the Scriptures say they are likened to a foolish person whose house fell when the storms of life came.  Not only did it fall, but it was a GREAT fall.  So is every person who hears but does not DO what the Word of God teaches.

In order to be a faithful Christian, we must not only BELIEVE in Jesus, but we must also follow Him.  We must be more than just a hearer, we must also be a doer.

If the belief that some hold tightly to is correct that it does not matter what you do or how you live as long as you BELIEVE, then a person can steal or beat someone up and still be saved…as long as they believe, right?  Is that accurate?  Does that sound right?

Jesus said in Luke 6:46, “Why do you call Me LORD, LORD, but don’t do the things I said.”

We can see from Jesus’ words that He IS concerned with what we DO and following what He says needs to be done.  Again, Believing comes FIRST.  FOLLOWING comes after.

Some have the misunderstanding that FOLLOWING just means doing a bunch of good deeds all the time like feeding the hungry, and if you do enough good deeds you’ll gain Jesus’ approval.

But a rich young man came to Jesus who did a lot of good deeds came to Jesus ready to show off all his good works.  He thought surely that’s all he needed to do to be able to make it to heaven. (Luke 18:18-27)

He told Jesus that he obeyed his mom and dad and all of the commandments.  He didn’t steal.  He didn’t lie.  He was a good young man.

Jesus looked lovingly at the young man and wanted him to follow Him as He said, “One thing you are lacking: go and sell whatever you have and give to the poor and then you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come, take up your cross and follow Me.”

Jesus could see the young man loved money and the things of this world.  He wanted to live his life the way he wanted to live and still be able to enter heaven.  He wanted to follow Jesus on his own terms. He thought being good was good enough, but it wasn’t. 

Jesus said to take up our cross and follow Him. Does that mean we need to carry a literal cross around on our back?  No.  What Jesus is saying is that just as a cross is heavy – living for Jesus will not always be easy.  We will sometimes carry burdens that are heavy to bear.

A cross is rugged and has splinters – walking with Jesus will not be a cakewalk with everyone smiling and happy all the time.  Living for Jesus will sometimes be rough.  You may get hurt by others when you are following Jesus.

But following Jesus is worth it in the end.  Because it’s all about pleasing HIM, not our friends.  We want to hear Jesus say one day, “Well done, enter in.”  But we’ll only hear that IF we do the things that Jesus said to do and obey whatever is written in the Bible.

We need to be more than just a believer – we must be a believer AND a follower. 

We must do more than just HEAR what God’s Word said – we must also DO what God’s Word says.

Jesus said in Luke 6:46, “Why do you call Me LORD, LORD, but don’t do the things I said.”

If we call Him Lord then we must do the things He said to do. 

How will we know what He says to do?

By reading ALL of the Bible, cover to cover, not just the Scriptures we like or the ones we find in a little ‘Promise Box’. 

We must faithfully read the Bible every day.

We will learn what the Word of God teaches to do or not to do by being faithful to Church and Bible studies.  This is where we hear the preacher and the teacher expound the Scriptures to us.

We will learn more about what God’s Word says to do by praying every day – because prayer is what helps to prepare our hearts and minds to receive and understand what we are reading or being taught.

A true Believer is going to be a Follower. 

A true Believer is going to search the Scriptures daily to learn what it takes to be like Jesus. 

A true Believer is going to be an example to other believers….

Paul admonished Timothy to be an example of what a Believer is: in what he says, in his behavior/the way he lives, in showing love toward others, in spirit (what is inside = the heart/emotions), in his religious beliefs, and in moral and spiritual cleanliness. (1 Tim 4:12)

These are actions.                                           

A true Believer is going to talk like Jesus, act like Jesus, love like Jesus, believe like Jesus, dress like Jesus wants us to dress, live like Jesus wants us to live, and try to imitate Him in every way.

A true BELIEVER is going to be a DOER of the Word and not just a HEARER.

A true BELIEVER is going to be a FOLLOWER of JESUS.

Get A Love For The Truth

 2 Thessalonians 2 (KJV)

³ Let no man deceive you by any means:
for that day shall not come,
except there come a falling away first...
¹⁰ ...because they received
not the love of the truth...
¹² ....believed not the truth,
but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

They didn't believe or receive the Truth because they loved their sin more. 💔
Get a love for the Truth