by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Nehemiah 7-9
What a history these Jews have. After the walls are rebuilt and genealogies are taken, the people are gathered for Ezra to read the law.
These people have been in captivity in Babylon all of their lives, so they have never had any personal experience in the Promised Land. Yet it shows how the traditions have been passed on from generation to generation.
These have heard from their parents and grandparents about the wonderful land they left behind. They have heard the age-old stories about how God had called their ancestor Abraham, and how He had led them all of those years – through Egyptian bondage to the wilderness and to the Promised Land. They recognize themselves as God’s covenant people -who have always had His mercy and favor, but who have not been faithful to Him.
By pulling out the law for all to hear – and by enumerating in detail all of the years of God’s dealings with them, these people are committing their lives back to their one true God.
In the middle of these events, they have a tremendous day of celebration. In fact, the edict goes out that no one is to be grieved or sorrowful that day. It is a Holy day to the Lord, and everyone must eat, drink celebrate with joy.
Today there are those who are being called by the Lord to wake up and restore the age-old dealings the Lord has had with us. We do it the same way they did. We take out the Word of God, dust it off, and read, read, read.
Within the pages of our Bible there is a history and a promise to all who will walk with Him. Not every one is interested in such a walk, but some people are.
I want to be counted with those who are wiling to do just that. Now our Bible contains much more than theirs did in Nehemiah. Now ours contains the New Testament – with the completed work of Jesus on the cross, the Holy Spirit now living within us, and a fresh new vision from God – for all men everywhere who desire to be His.
As we read, we always see more of the mystery being revealed. We see more of what our covenant entails – and more of our mission from our Father.
We get energized and encouraged to run the race with vigor and determination, always keeping our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. (Hebrews 12:1-2).
Acts 3
A lame man, who has been set down at the gate of the temple every day so that he could beg alms, must have seen Jesus many times. Our savior went by that way as He taught in the temple and healed many others. For some reason, Jesus never healed this man. Obviously, the man never asked to be healed, but I think there was another reason. I think that Jesus was saving this notable miracle for His disciples.
So what happens here? He doesn’t ask to be healed, he wants Peter and John to give him alms.
But Peter gazes at him and says, “I do not possess gold and silver, but what I do have, I’ll give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, rise and walk.”(V. 6)
The man, who has been lame from birth, gets up and begins to walk, leap, and praise God for his healing.
Then, of course, the transformed Peter can’t help himself. He stands up again and preaches to the gathered crowd – once again proving the scriptures about God’s mighty deliverance through Jesus.
Peter and John are acting just like Jesus Himself. These transformed men are sights to behold! This Holy Spirit they have just received must really be something!
He is!
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Nehemiah 4-6
Rebuilding is not an easy task! In Ezra, we saw that the locals officials used many tactics to stop the rebuilding of the temple. Many of these same tactics are used against Nehemiah. He is taunted and ridiculed by the leaders as he is trying to rebuild the wall around Jerusalem. Then, just as with Ezra, he is threatened.
Yet Nehemiah refuses to stop. Good for him!
Ezra and Nehemiah are excellent books for us to ponder as Christians. When we receive Jesus as our Savior, the first thing we do is rebuild our temple – the place of God’s Spirit. That’s actually what happens when we get born again. Our spirit man comes alive. As the temple in Jerusalem is the place of God’s presence, so is our spirit within us. We reconnect with God.
Then we start rebuilding the walls which have been torn down. The broken walls represent all of the areas of our lives which have been trampled by the devil while God was not being honored.
Every person has broken places before they come to the Lord. It’s a good idea to do some soul-searching and see what the Lord would try to show you.
Have you had addictions? Drugs? Alcohol? Pornography? Have you been abused? Have you had hurts which have damaged your confidence?
All of these are examples of broken down walls in your life. The enemy of your soul has been allowed free rein. But no more!
It’s time to rebuild, and restore. Our God is a God of restoration.
When our church purchased an old theater building, we began the lengthy, back-breaking job of refurbishing it. It was in total disrepair, but we saw beauty there, and knew that it could be restored.
One day, as I was scraping some popcorn grease off of the wall (not my favorite part), the Lord spoke to me. He said, “this is a picture of what I want to do in the lives of my people. I want to take lives which are broken down and seem beyond repair and turn them into lives of great beauty.” I love that!
So back to Nehemiah, when there are threats in the low places of the wall as they are rebuilding, a trumpet is blown, and the troops rally to those places. Special attention is applied where it’s needed.
My husband teaches about this often. The low places in your wall are those areas where you have greater weakness as you grow in the Lord. Those are the places where you need additional attention.
So what do you do? “Our warfare is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers.” (Ephesians 6:12). The devil is the one who wants to stop your progress.
Your weapon against the devil is the “sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God.”(Ephesians 6:18) So you take the scriptures which strengthen you in those low places. For instance, “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.”( Philippians 4:13) Or “If God is for me, who can be against me?” (Romans 8:31) Or any other appropriate scriptures.
As you speak and meditate on those scriptures, you will find greater strength coming to you – the strength you need to overcome and rebuild.
That’s the way you and I rebuild our walls. The longer we stay at it, and the more diligent we are to do it, the higher and stronger our walls get.
Our Father has a terrific design in us – and a special purpose. As we allow His Word – and His purpose – to work in us, we will see His beautiful plans unfold.
“The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, it grows brighter until the noon day sun.” (Proverbs 4:18)
Acts 2:22-47
Speaking of boldness, Peter has it for sure! And not only that. He also has understanding of scripture.
As Peter stands up to speak, he sees the meaning of scripture throughout the Old Testament. Suddenly truths unfold which he had never seen before.
Remember Peter of a thousand questions? The Peter who tried to talk Jesus out of going to the cross, and who ran when He did? Well here he is, transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit who is now living inside of him. What a transformation!
Now he stands and explains scripture which he had not understood before, and the fruit is evident. Three thousand souls are added that day.
Boldness, understanding, and unity. That’s the third element in this transformation: unity. These early Christians are in one mind and one accord. They share with each other, they are eating together, visiting, discussing with each other all that is transpiring. They are truly one.
Over the centuries since those days, the devil has managed to divide the church into a thousand parts. There are many denominations and doctrines which are aimed to separate. But our Father is calling us to be one again.
We actually might not agree on one doctrine. But we can agree that Jesus is the Savior having gone to the cross for us, having been raised from the dead so that we can be born again, and having sent back His Holy Spirit to live within us. Other doctrines are nuances compared to these central issues. He wants us to honor each other, to share with each other, to pray for each other – and with each other.
In the 17th chapter of John, Jesus prays that we will be one. Our Father is calling today for us to return to this attitude of heart. He wants us to join hands for the common cause of awakening in our land and in our world.
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Nehemiah 1-2
Ezra had brought two groups of people back to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. Now it’s Nehemiah’s turn. He will come and rebuild the walls.
Just as with Ezra, when it’s time for Nehemiah to return, God gives him favor with the king. This time it’s Artaxerxes, who is the stepson of Esther. (She probably had opportunities to speak to him concerning her people, giving him a soft place in his heart for them).
And, as Nehemiah says, the “good hand of my God was on me.”(2:8)
So Nehemiah takes the letter from the king, and makes the trip to Jerusalem. The local officials are angered, but they have to obey the king.
Notice some of Nehemiah’s wisdom. He waits for the right moment to tell others about what he is doing. (Most of us would have immediately told everyone who would listen). He goes out by night, alone, and rides around the walls, examining the damage and making his plans.
Just as with Ezra, the local officials mock them, but Nehemiah isn’t moved by it.
He declares, “The God of heaven will give us success; therefore we His servants will arise and build.”
Nehemiah has a confidence in his God – and he will succeed.
Acts 2:1-21
This is the game-changer. This is what it’s all about!
All that we have been reading, and will continue to read, about the descendants of Abraham and God’s dealings with them, have led us to this moment. It took a long time, didn’t it? Centuries of Egypt, the wilderness, up and down kings, Babylonian captivity, the return of a remnant to rebuild, then Jesus.
So since God’s perfect Lamb has been slain, taking our sin, a way has been made by the Lord for us to walk in a whole new life. A whole new realm, even.
On the day of Pentecost, God’s Holy Spirit came from Heaven like a mighty wind, filling them with Himself. No longer would men be cut off from God, if they didn’t choose to be. He would actually come to live inside of them. He would make His abode in them.
This is more significant than anyone can imagine.
So the disciples were obedient to Jesus. They stayed in the upper room, praying, with one mind, and He showed up. Nothing like they had expected. Who ever said anything about tongues?
But that’s what happened to them. They began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
After this experience, Peter gets up and with boldness declares to the spectators what had just happened. Going into the scripture, he reminds them that Joel had prophesied about this very thing happening.
Wait a minute, that’s Peter! He’s the one who was too afraid to admit that he knew Jesus. How could he stand up there and speak with boldness? He could do that because the Holy Spirit had empowered him to be a witness – just like Jesus said he would.
What a change in personality and confidence!
Throughout the book of Acts we will see dramatic demonstrations of the Holy Spirit, and His power. We will see healings, miracles, more people coming to receive Jesus.
We will see the birth of God’s church. It’s a new day!
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Ezra 9-10
Ezra was not one to compromise, and that’s for sure. After the nation of Judah had gone into exile for 70 years, and after they had been allowed to return to their own land and rebuild – by the hand of God, he was determined that the people were not going into the same sinful pattern again.
Today some people get confused about the “foreign wives” bit. They think that God is saying today it is a sin to marry a foreign wife. Of course, that’s not so.
In the days of Ezra, just as in the prior days, the foreign wives had a different god. Just as Solomon had turned from God by marrying the foreign wives, so others had done the same. When they brought other gods into their households, it diluted their allegiance – and the allegiance of their children – to the one true God.
So Ezra was determined that the people were not going through the same pattern which had caused their downfall.
Today, this would be comparable to Christians not marrying Christians. Obviously, we see this happening frequently, but when both partners are not devoted to God, there are issues which arise in the marriage. One of the greatest issues is that there is not a solid foundation for the children.
It’s something to think about.
Acts 1
Okay, you’d better get ready. The rest of the New Testament is written to the Christians – those who have received Jesus as their Savior.
The rules are about to change. On the cross, Jesus had said, “It is finished,” meaning that the Old Covenant had been fulfilled. He had paid the price for our sins, and He was soon giving us a New Covenant. Now we see it unfolding.
Jesus tells His disciples to gather in Jerusalem for the “baptism of the Holy Spirit.”(V. 5) He tells them that they are not to know the times and seasons, which God has ordained, but they will receive “power” when the Holy Spirit comes upon them. Power to be His witnesses. (V.8)
Don’t you know they were filled with anticipation as they waited. A few weeks before this, they had been in doubt about Jesus, as they saw Him go to the cross. But He had proven Himself to be true to His Word, as He arose from the dead and appeared to them. Now He is telling them that something great is about to happen. They can hardly wait.
During His days upon earth, Jesus had ministered to many thousands, as people came to be healed, and as they came to observe the miracles. Now He has gone to Heaven, and only 120 people total are there for the next phase of things.
You can never go by the numbers. Very often at the beginning of a surge of God’s plan, the first numbers are very few. Many people have to see something with their natural eyes before they believe it. If you are a forerunner for God, there’s not anything to see with your natural eyes, because it hasn’t happened yet.
But forerunners are indeed blessed, as His disciples are about to experience. So they gather and they pray. They are with one mind, in unity, gathered together with great expectation.
Something big is about to happen!
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Ezra 6-8
Our God is a God of restoration. As we read Ezra, we see His mighty hand, and we also see His methods.
Yesterday we left the temple work at a standstill. The local adversaries had finally sent a letter to the king of Babylon charging the Jews with evil motives, so the work had been halted. Then we saw the prophets, Haggai and Zechariah (we will get to their prophecies when we get to those books), encouraging the builders. They reminded the Jews that they were building by order of Cyrus the King.
So a letter was sent to the new king, Darius, asking him to search the records and find the letter from Cyrus in the archives. Darius did just that, and he sent another letter to the local officials, basically saying, “You will not hinder the work, and you will even pay for the rebuilding!”
Our God can do it, can’t He? So the temple work resumed, and the building was finished.
Then Ezra, the scribe who wrote down this book, was sent back to Jerusalem to help the Jews reclaim the laws and the practices which had been given them by God.
Remember yesterday how we talked about the plots of the enemy to stop God’s work – and how that applied to our lives also? Well today we get to see God’s answer to those attempts.
The original letter written by king Cyrus, when he issued a decree for the Jews to return and to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem, could not be nullified. Once the decree had been made by the king, the generations after that had to obey. Of course, the Jews didn’t think about that until the prophets came and encouraged them.
Now when we come to the Lord, or for that matter, if we have been with Him for awhile, there are areas of our lives which haven’t been totally restored. When we look at these chapters on restoration, let’s bring it down to our own lives.
You might know that there are areas of your life which need to be restored. You may have tried, but you find yourself going through all of the resistance from the devil that you saw in Ezra 4. Fear, discouragement, compromise, etc.
Your answer is to look at the official word of the King. And what is that for us? The answer: the Bible, of course. When you hold up the official Word of God to the bombardments of the devil, it becomes our “sword of the spirit” and you are able to put him on the run.
When Jesus was in the wilderness, being tempted by the devil, this is the weapon He used. Instead of just saying, “Get out of here,” Jesus would answer every taunt with “It is written…” and He would quote the scripture.
When our minds are bombarded with thoughts of fear or anxiety, we have scriptures with which to fight our fight. We say, “It is written ‘I shall not fear, for the Lord is with me.'”Or, “I cast every care upon Him, for he cares for me.”
To effectively ward off the devil during your period of restoration (which is the rest of your life, as you restore one facet after another), you collect the appropriate words for your issues. Words that relate to your health, your children, your finances, your marriage, or your ability to live a holy life before God.
These words from God are edicts from the King of Kings. The devil has no choice but to obey them. We are blessed to be able draw out just the right the sword of the spirit we need in the time of battle.
If God is for us, then who can be against us?
John 21
John shares the final episode of Jesus’ appearing before He ascends to Heaven. The disciples are happy to see Him, of course, but they only recognize Him after He demonstrates a miracle: the nets full of fish.
The Lord and Peter have an interesting exchange. Remember, Peter had denied Jesus three times on the night that He was arrested. So Jesus gives Peter a chance to affirm his love three times. But one thing might be missed in the translation. Jesus says “Do you love Me?” And Peter answers, “Yes, Lord, I Love You.” That’s the English translation, but they weren’t speaking in English.
The Greek words which were used in this episode were different. There are three words for “love” in Greek. Eros, which means erotic love, phileo which means brotherly love, and argapeo, which means God’s unconditional love.
In this exchange between Peter and Jesus, Jesus says “argapeo,” meaning, “Do you love me unconditionally?” Peter answers, “Lord you know that I love you.” But he uses “phileo,” the word that means brotherly love. Finally, Jesus says, “Do you phileo Me?” Peter knew that his love didn’t match the Godly love which Jesus showed. His love was human and not divine. Jesus’ love was the love of God – that unconditional, merciful love.
One final note, John refers to himself as “the disciple Jesus loved.” He has the right idea. Jesus loves each of us so completely that when we receive that love the way He wants us to, we feel like we are His favorite.
That’s the nature of our Father’s love. When we fully receive the love of God, our emotions and memories get healed, we gain confidence, we rise to the challenges confronting us.
We are empowered to live our lives for Him.
by Suellen | Project 2013: Read The Bible
Ezra 3-5
The supernatural return of a remnant of Jews from Babylon continues as they collect money, gather materials, and commence the rebuilding of the temple. The foundation is finished and great rejoicing ensues. Loud shouts of joy and weeping of some elderly create an electrifying sound in the atmosphere.
The sound comes as an alarm to the ears of the enemies in the land. They don’t want the temple rebuilt.
Ezra chapter four is a picture of the way our enemy, the devil, will try to stop us today as we do the Lord’s work. If we study it carefully, we will recognize some of his tactics and we will be able to stand against them. There are basically five tactics that they (and he) use to stop the work.
First, they don’t want it built, so they say ,”Let us help you.”(4:2) Now, think about it. They first want to sabotage the building from within. That’s where the enemy starts when he wants to stop your work for the Lord. Since your battlefield is in the mind, he will give you ideas which will compromise your work and eradicate its effectiveness. He wants to stop your pure adherence to what God is telling you to do.(These thoughts will often come to the members of a church as it is reaching out for then lost. He causes great criticism of the leadership).
Second, he will bring discouragement. Your thoughts will begin to doubt your ability to do what God has called you to do. (4:4)
Third, he will frighten you. He will make you think that your zeal for the Lord will cause you to lose your friends. In your giving, he will try to tell you that God won’t provide if you give too much.
Fourth, he will “frustrate your counsel.”(4:5) Again he will try to bring confusing direction to you so that you will not be sure what to do.
Fifth, when none of the above works, he will try to bring decrees against you to stop your work. Think of all the lawsuits which have been filed against schools and city governments, trying to get people to stop praying or sharing the gospel. There are many out there, some of whom don’t even realize that they are being used by the devil to stop God’s work. They don’t like Christian practices and they try to stop them by court injunctions, etc.
Now these tactics apply whether you are trying to lead a Godly home, or a Godly church. The devil doesn’t come to you with a red suit and a pitchfork. He is tricky and he tries to come in a way that you will accept.
When you think of the thoughts and emotions which come to you when you are about to pray with someone or share the gospel with someone, you will begin to see how the devil works. (By the way, it’s really not “the devil,” since there is only one of him. The voice you hear is from one of his demons).
Now to be clear, this “voice” I’m talking about is not really a voice you hear with your ears, unless he has sent someone to speak to you. The voice you hear the most is a thought in your mind. He whispers to your mind, so that if you aren’t aware, you will think those are your own thoughts.
We’ve spent a lot of time today talking about the devil’s tactics. It’s important to know these tactics so that we can resist his attempts. When we see how he works, we can recognize where some negative thoughts are coming from, and not listen to them.
So discouragement, confusion, fear, and outright attacks against God’s work are some of the ways he tries to stop us.
Let’s don’t let him. If we resist him, he has to flee. (James 4:7)
John 20
Can you imagine what that was like for Jesus’ disciples to see Him appear after his resurrection? He had told them that after the third day, He would arise from the dead, but that was hard to comprehend. That didn’t make sense to the natural mind.
Yet His Word is true, and He begins appearing to them – first at the tomb, and then in the room where they are assembled.
Thomas is like many today. He has to have it proven to Him that Jesus is alive. So he puts his hands into Jesus’ side and sees the nail holes in His hands before he says, “My Lord and my God!”
Jesus says, “Because you have seen me, have you believed? Blessed are they who didn’t see me and yet believed.”(V.29)
That’s us today. We haven’t seen Him, unless in a dream or vision. Yet we have believed through His Word.
As we continue in our belief, He will prove Himself to us over and over. And the more we believe, the more we will see!
Kingdom rules are sometimes the opposite of natural rules. In the natural, we would say, “I have to see it to believe it.” In the kingdom, we have to believe it to see it.
Believe, and receive!
