Pastor Ed's Devotional

Nehemiah 5:14 Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year until the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the governor’s provisions.

Pastor Ed — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 06:01:00 +0000

Nehemiah was governor for 12 years before he returned to his post as cupbearer to king Artaxerxes in Persia. It only took 3 months for him to complete the main reason why he came but he stayed on for 12 years more to make sure that the spiritual rebuilding was going on as well. Nehemiah was a man of character who understood clearly the principles of God’s kingdom. Nehemiah never heard Jesus words in his lifetime but he certainly practiced them, Mark 9:35 And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” He tells us that he was careful to not personally profit as governor either. It seems that Nehemiah had a good desire to aspire to greatness by being a servant to all. We understand that is exactly what Jesus was saying to His disciples when they were arguing over who was the greatest. We notice that Jesus did not say there is anything wrong with their desire to be great in His Kingdom. But the method He describes is the exact opposite of the world and the way they had been arguing and thinking about. Aspire to greatness but not that kind of greatness the world promotes. We need to look to someone like Nehemiah as our example. He had fame, great influence, and the trappings of power but his ambition was to be great in the eyes of his Lord. “LORD, put me in the right place, at the right time, with the right attitude of heart to be used by You this day.”

Nehemiah 4:10 Then Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall.”

Pastor Ed — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 06:01:09 +0000

When the enemies of God’s work began to come against the people of God, the result is always discouragement. It was true in Nehemiah’s day and it is still true today. We often fail to see the connection at first and therefore struggle needlessly for a long period of time before we turn and deal with it in a positive way. Discouragement is a normal part of being part of the human race living on a fallen planet. It is a constantly reoccurring weapon used by the enemy and it is a highly contagious condition spilling over onto others around us. Fatigue is a major cause of discouragement and must be guarded against by simply getting adequate rest, eating well and getting enough exercise for our bodies. But prayer, Bible study and fellowship are needed to refresh our soul and spirit as well. An old fable is helpful to put this in perspective. One man challenged another to an all-day wood chopping contest. The challenger worked very hard, stopping only for a brief lunch break. The other man had a leisurely lunch and took several breaks during the day. At the end of the day, the challenger was surprised and annoyed to find that the other fellow had chopped substantially more wood than he had. “I don’t get it,” he said. “Every time I checked, you were taking a rest, yet you chopped more wood than I did.” “But you didn’t notice,” said the winning woodsman, “that I was sharpening my ax when I sat down to rest.” We need to spend daily time in Scripture so that the ‘Sword of the Spirit’ is sharp in our own lives as well. “LORD. please keep us sharp and refreshed today as we walk with You.”

Nehemiah 3:14 Malchijah the son of Rechab, leader of the district of Beth Haccerem, repaired the Refuse Gate; he built it and hung its doors with its bolts and bars.

Pastor Ed — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:01:05 +0000

In the ancient world walls and gates were absolutely necessary for protection before a city could possibly grow and thrive. Danger was everywhere including invading armies, marauding bands and individual thieves. The Persian King Cyrus made a decree in 538 BC allowing the Jews to return to their homeland, With in three years a group of about 50,000 had returned and tried to began by rebuilding the temple. However by 445 BC, Jerusalem was still not a safe place to live because there were buildings, but there was no wall around the city. Here we find them rebuilding gates and the wall. Down through the centuries believers have seen illustrations of our own lives in these gates and the connecting walls between them. If we do not have sufficient walls and gates in place in our own lives then we too are easy targets for the enemy of God to come in and destroy us. This gate called the dung or refuse gate was an important part of that city. We all need a refuse gate in our own lives as well. The dung gate was where all the filth of the city was carried out. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians, 1 Corinthians 7:1 ” Having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord,” A simple but honest confession to God of our sins is how we get the garbage out of our lives. 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” As we continue to ask God to forgive and change us He does from the inside out, even causing us to walk in His commands. “LORD, forgive my sins I turn from them and turn to You, in Jesus’ name.”

Nehemiah 2:1 And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, that I took the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had never been sad in his presence before.

Pastor Ed — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 06:01:08 +0000

The first chapter of Nehemiah begins with Nehemiah saying, “in the month of Chislev,’ which is about December. Now this chapter begins with Nehemiah saying, “in the month of Nisan,” which is the month of April, so there has been a time lapse of about four months. When Nehemiah heard the bad news about the conditions in Jerusalem, he wept, prayed and fasted. He was in essence saying ‘Lord, use me, send me to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls.” It is interesting to note that in spite of his prayer nothing happened for four months however Nehemiah didn’t lose hope. This man was a man of vision and patience and showed himself willing to simply wait for God. Most of us have already discovered the spiritual rule that it is often necessary for believers to learn to wait on God’s timing. The Bible is filled with men and women who had to learn this lesson of patience. It was for 40 years that Moses tended sheep. This was because earlier he thought that e had some talent to lead people so he tried in his own power to make something happen. He only succeeded in making a mess by killing an Egyptian and having to flee to the wilderness to hide out. Only after forty years in the desert did he come to the conclusion that he was not capable of leading anything but sheep. It was then that God was finally able to begin to use the man Moses. Forty years passed as Joshua served in obscurity as Moses’ assistant and for 25 years David ran from King Saul waiting for his reign to end so he could be king. So we should not be surprised to find God making us wait before He is able t use us. Of course the problem is never God but always His children. “LORD, we desire to be used by You today in some small way. Show us someone to serve as if we are serving You.”

Nehemiah 1:7 “We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses.”

Pastor Ed — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 06:01:49 +0000

Nehemiah not only confesses the sin of the nation of Israel, he includes himself as one of the guilty. We remember that Nehemiah had never been to Israel since he was born in captivity n Babylon. He may have been tempted to think that none of this captivity is his fault but he is very careful to identify with his people to confess and repent. Of course there is no use in trying to hide our sins from God and Nehemiah is very open about them. There is a good illustration about our sins finding us out. A couple of Boeing employees decided to steal a life raft from one of the airlines in the factory in Washington. They were successful in getting it out of the plant and home but they failed to take into account one important fact. The rafts on airlines all come with an emergency locator that is automatically activated when the raft is inflated. When they took the raft out for a float on the Stilliguamish River, in northwest Washington, state were quite surprised by a coast guard helicopter homing in on the emergency locator that was activated the moment they inflated the raft. “They are no longer Boeing employees,” a company spokesperson told the press. It is even more futile to try to hide your sin from God. It is of course impossible since He sees them all … But still loves us if we confess and repent. “LORD, we confess our sins and turn from them back to You this day, in Jesus’ name.”

1 Timothy 6:7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.” 6:8 And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.

Pastor Ed — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 06:01:32 +0000

Paul reminds young Timothy that we all will leave this world with the same belongings we entered owning, thus the old saying, ‘You can’t take it with you.’ If we have sufficient food and clothing that should be enough to be satisfied in this life. These may sound like strange words to modern ears but are the secret to great contentment. The basic necessities of life are what should make a believer content when we remember that no hearse has a trailer hitch. Leo Tolstoy has left us a perfect story underscoring this truth. It is about a successful peasant farmer but he was not satisfied with his lot. He wanted more of everything. One day he received a novel offer. For 1000 rubles, he could buy all the land he could walk around in a day. The only catch in the deal was that he had to be back at his starting point by sundown. Early the next morning he started out walking at a fast pace. By midday he was very tired, but he kept going, covering more and more ground. Well into the afternoon he realized that his greed had taken him far from the starting point. He quickened his pace and as the sun began to sink low in the sky, he began to run, knowing that if he did not make it back by sundown the opportunity to become an even bigger landholder would be lost. As the sun began to sink below the horizon he came within sight of the finish line. Gasping for breath, his heart pounding, he called upon every bit of strength left in his body and staggered across the line just before the sun disappeared. he immediately collapsed, blood streaming from his mouth. In a few minutes he was dead. Afterwards, his servants dug a grave. it was not much over six feet long and three feet wide. The title of Tolstoy’s story was, ‘How much land does a man need?’ “LORD, help me to stay focused on eternity today and live it like it is my last.”

1 Timothy 5:1 Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, the younger men as brothers,

Pastor Ed — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 06:01:00 +0000

Timothy, a young pastor, was to avoid disciplining older people by reprimand and Paul contrasts two very different words to stress his point. The word translated rebuke literally means, “to strike at” and is a harsh or severe censure. Older folks are to be spared such an open scolding but to encourage, literally strengthen our fellow older believers as you would a father or mother. The point for all of us to take is that we should be careful how we talk to people order than us. Maturity and chronological age are not synonymous but we should assume an older person deserves respect. The younger men as ‘brothers’ or an equal meaning that there is to be no air of superiority, no pecking order between brothers. The Apostle Paul means for his instructions to confer tremendous respect on the other person regardless of age as it is always better to treat those who are younger as our peers and older as our parents. We love the story of the elderly gentleman had serious hearing problems. Finally after a number of years, he went to the doctor and the doctor was able to have him fitted for hearing aids that allowed him to hear better than he had as a young man. The elderly gentleman went back in a month to the doctor and the doctor said, “Your hearing is perfect. Your family must be really pleased you can hear again.” To which the gentleman said, “Oh, I haven’t told my family yet. I just sit around and listen to the conversations. I’ve changed my will three times!” Paul told the Ephesians 5:21 ’submitting to one another in the fear of God.’ “LORD, help us today to remember to fear no one but You and to treat everyone with respect.”

1 Timothy 4:16 Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

Pastor Ed — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 06:01:50 +0000

Paul tells young Timothy some practical advice here. Keep a close watch on yourself and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right, and God will save you and those who hear you. These are the simple priorities of the godly servant to watch our actions and what we say. When he says to continue in them Paul means that we should not become wearing of doing these good things. Salvation is clearly a work of God Himself but God has decided to do so through yielded human instruments. There is an old but helpful illustration from the Swiss Alps of a man lost in a blizzard. Although he was almost blinded by the blowing snow he knew he was near a wilderness cabin he had been to years before. Struggling through the swirling snow and praying he stumbled falling over and over again. He was exhausted and weak and about to give up hope when he noticed the object in the snow he had just stumbled over was another person. Checking for a pulse he found the man was still alive but he knew if he didn’t get him moving the man would soon freeze. He hoisted the man up and started to walk slowly one step, two, three halting. To his amazement after only about ten steps he stepped onto the porch of the same wilderness cabin for which he had been looking. The lesson for us is that reaching out and helping others in this believer’s life, helps keep us close to the Lord. “LORD, show me someone to help today that I might keep my own walk vital and flourishing this day.”

1 Timothy 3:4 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. 3:5 If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?

Pastor Ed — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 06:01:52 +0000

Paul is outlining the qualifications of a leader. The leader’s home life, like his personal life, must be a good example. Consistence between what is said and what is practiced is also in view meaning that the talk must match the walk. Weaknesses in spiritual leadership have a way of showing up in many other areas of life including finances, childrearing and a generally happy home life. It is only logical if someone can’t manage their home life well then how could they be a model and a help in managing a whole churches life? If he is unable to keep his own little family balanced how can he help the families in the church lead others to salvation and growth. Not too surprisingly the family of God is not much different from the family at home but that is the good news and the bad. Someone said, “Remember Winston Churchill’s immortal words at the beginning of WWII?—‘We shall fight on the beaches. We shall fight on the landing grounds. We shall fight in the fields and in the streets. We shall fight in the hills!’ That sounds like our family vacation!” Families and church don’t always get along. One wise church leader advised, “If you are looking for a perfect church and think you’ve found it, for heaven’s sake, don’t join it. You will mess it up for sure.” It takes far-sighted wisdom to steer both families and churches past the rocky shores of this 21st century world. “LORD, please give us discernment and wisdom to see and walk with You this day.”

1 Timothy 2:2 For kings, and all who are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.

Pastor Ed — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 06:01:54 +0000

When we notice the date this was written we are surprised since Caesar Nero the worst despotic ruler Rome ever knew was leading the Empire. As Paul wrote this letter persecution was a growing reality to believers. Only a few years later, when Nero needed a scapegoat to blame for the fire that destroyed Rome that he had probably set he blamed the Roman Christians. That triggered severe persecution so that not only were Christians denied common rights of citizenship but were publicly butchered in the coliseum for entertainment. Paul doesn’t advocate praying against Rome but instead tells us to pray for those in authority. God changes the direction of a nation when people pray. We are called to pray not criticize. In fact, we are told to aspire to a ‘quiet and peaceable life.’ Quiet here refers to the absence of external disturbances and peaceable refers to the absence of internal ones, the life Jesus lived seamlessly. The Old Testament prophet Isaiah recorded a profound description of life God’s way, a quiet peaceful life in the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.” There is an old story of an elderly believer, a fine singer, who learned that he had cancer of the tongue and that surgery was required. In the hospital after everything was ready for the operation, the man said to the doctor, “Are you sure I will never sing again?” The surgeon found it difficult to answer his question. He simply shook his head no. The patient then asked if he could sit up for a moment. “I’ve had many good times singing the praises of God,” he said. “And now you tell me I can never sing again. I have one song that will be my last. It will be of gratitude and praise to God.” There in the doctor’s presence the man sang softly the words of Isaac Watts’ hymn, “I’ll praise my Maker while I’ve breath,/ And when my voice is lost in death,/ Praise shall employ my nobler power;/ My days of praise shall ne’er be past,/ While life, and thought, and being last,/ Or immortality endures.” “LORD, we desire to walk in Your peace and lead a quiet and simple life this day, in Jesus’ name.”