Building Walls

What purpose does a wall serve?  They support the roof/ceiling of a structure. They keep the elements out. They protect us.  Without walls we would be at the mercy of nature and those that intend to cause us harm.  In ancient times the walls of a city was what determined the survival of that city and it's inhabitants.  Many cities of olden time were famous for their walls.  Constantinople (Turkey), York (England), Carcassonne (France), Xi'an (China), and the ancient city of Jerusalem.


Every one of the these cities have, in their histories, been subject to attack by those bent upon conquering. In most cases these cities have been protected by their walls, but at one time or another each has fallen to an attacking army.

Such was the case of Jerusalem, which fell to Nebuchadnezzar, to Rome two times, and to countless other invaders over the centuries.  The wall did not keep the city from harm, due to treachery, weakness or just sheer might of the attacker.

As I have been reading during my devotional time the last week or so, I finished up with Ezra (the rebuilding of the Temple) and decided to go right into Nehemiah which deals with the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls. This morning I began chapter 3.  In this chapter a list of men and their families is given outlining what section of wall each was family group was responsible for.  As I read of Eliashib (the High Priest), the men of Jericho, the sons of Hassenaah, and many, many more that were rebuilding the wall and gates of the city, my mind began to wonder, much like it does when going through Leviticus or Deuteronomy, one verse stood out.  It was one of those versed that jumped off the page because of one word.  Nehemiah chapter 3 and verse 20 says (I will include vs 19 for continuity)...

"¹⁹ Next to him Ezer the son of Jeshua, the official of Mizpah, repaired ^[i]another section in front of the ascent of the armory at the Angle. ²⁰ After him Baruch the son of Zabbai zealously repaired another section, from the Angle to the doorway of the house of Eliashib the high priest."

Did you catch the word in verse 20?? (emphasized)  Zealously!! Zealously means "full of, characterized by, or due to zeal, ardently active, devoted or diligent".  In other words, Baruch kicked into high speed and got the job done. He built his section of the wall zealously!! Why?  To protect himself, his family and the rest of the Jews that had come back to their holy city, from an attacking enemy.

With this one verse, God got my attention!  Am I building the right kind of walls to protect me and my family?  Am I repairing/building walls to fend off Satan and his attacks?  Do I pray for and ask God to help me "build walls" around that and those that I love so they will survive attacks? And most importantly am I doing it "zealously"?  Having a vibrant, daily relationship with my God is the only way I, or anyone else, will be able to accomplish building walls, and I pray God will help me become a master stonemason!

Looking Back

Today in our morning service our pastor, Byron Williamson's sermon was from Exodus chapter 14.  This passage deals with God delivering the Israelites from Pharaoh and his army by dividing and leading His chosen people through the Red Sea.  Byron was preaching on how the Israelites wavered between trusting and following God, and looking at the "enemy" and their possible destruction as Pharaoh's army bore down on them.  As the sermon progressed, we were taught that when we look at Satan and his plans we often forget who and how powerful our God is.

While thinking about the points of the sermon, several of the verses jumped out at me and a thought was given to me that paralleled Byron's points.  As I read vs. 10-12 the historian in me came to life.  These verses are as follows:

  ¹⁰ As Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel looked, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they became very frightened; so the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord. ¹¹ Then they said to Moses, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt? ¹² Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”

As I read these verses it occurred to me that the nation of Israel had lost sight of God, their protector.  They looked back and saw the Egyptian army and sat in fear of what was going to happen, in their eyes.  They looked back to the splendor of Egypt, even though it was a false, secular splendor and wanted to go back.  They looked at their "certain and stable" life as slaves and longed to return.  All of this was rooted in fear because they took their eyes off of God!

They remembered the splendor and grandeur of the tombs in Egypt, forgetting that as slaves they built these ornate tombs for their taskmasters,  and died and were buried in unmarked and even mass graves dug in the dirt, because they were expendable.  The Israelites wanted to return and serve their former masters, forgetting the oppression and misery that they prayed to God to be freed from. They were looking back at their old lives.

Before we chastise the Israelites to severely, are we not a great deal like them?  Don't we often take our eyes off of our great Provider, forgeting the hand of protection and guidance God offers, just to look back at our sinful past.  To succumb in fear to Satan and his attacks.  Unfortunately, all to often I do. I start complaining about events and "things" going on in my life.  How often do I look back to "Egypt"?  How much fear do I allow into my life because of looking back?  After events that have occurred over the last several weeks, I find myself not keeping my eye on God as I should.  I keep looking back and the fear and uncertainty creeps in.  I have to force myself to stop, look to my "pillar of cloud" moving before me, and wait on my God to protect and guide me.  Only then can I be a part of those "who were going out triumphantly" (vs. 8) because they were looking to God their Deliverer!

Aromas

We all like things that smell good.  Fresh roses, homemade bread or cinnamon rolls, the smell of fresh cut hay (though that smell invokes a nasty round of hay fever with me) a good cologne or perfume, or any of a thousand of other scents that bring us pleasure. 

The other side of that coin are the things that offend out sense of smell.  Rotten food, a boys locker room or teenagers room, and the one that gets me, a dead animal decaying.  Any of the smell makes you recoil and back away to different degrees, but we do not want to be around them. 

This last week a passage out of 2 Corinthians has been twirling around in my mind.  I have contemplated verses 14 - 17 of chapter 2.  Read these verses with me.

¹⁴ But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. ¹⁵ For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; ¹⁶ to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? ¹⁷ For we are not like many, ^[d]peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.

As I have meditated on these verses especially in light of the events of Easter week and the profound realization that Jesus Christ died and was raised from the dead, paying the price I owed for my sins.  I would be dead if not for His sacrifice, dead with the "aroma of death".  That smell of rotting flesh and decay!

Thinking of this, verses 14 - 16 jumped up at me.  We as believers should have the sweet aroma of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  That aroma should be "sweet and enticing" as we live our lives for Christ, spreading this among the people around us.  In the real world I have come to see that verse 16 is so true.  As I go through my daily routines, work, home, errands, and even church there are two responses to our "aroma".  To many it will be the "aroma from life to life", but to many more we will be the "aroma of death to death".  Unfortunately to many of those around us our witness will turn them away.  They have or will reject God and Christ for a multitude of reasons and whether consciously or not we will be the smell of death to them.

The reaction of those individuals is at the least indifference and to the extreme persecution of believers.  They smell the aroma of death and instinctively back away with revulsion as they head down the path to destruction and judgment due to their rejection of Christ, often striking out in various ways at those who bring the truth of God's word to the world.  This is a sad situation but we should not take it personally.  Rejection from those around us will happen. Christ told us through Luke 10:16 "“The one who listens to you listens to Me, and the one who rejects you rejects Me; and he who rejects Me rejects the One who sent Me.”  We can only hope that those we do come in contact with will smell the "sweet aroma of life"

Going to Egypt

A couple of days ago I was reading in Genesis chapter 42-45 and this morning I felt that I should re-read these chapters.  While my mindset was that I had already been over this, I asked God why I needed to read these chapters again I received that gentle prodding, “read it again”.

Chapter 42 begins with Jacob telling his sons that they needed to go back to Egypt and get more grain, due to the famine.  An argument took place between Judah and his father about going back without Benjamin, which Jacob was extremely hesitant to do.  Judah said he would NOT go back without Benjamin due to what Joseph (though the brothers did not know it was Joseph at this time) had told them.  In vs 3-5, Judah tells his father “The man specifically warned us: ‘You will not see me again unless your brother is with you.’  If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you.  But if you will not send him, we will not go, for the man said to, ‘You will not wee me again unless your brother is with you’”.

There is a great deal of agony on Jacob’s part also but he finally gives in when Judah steps up and promises, upon his and his family’s lives, that Benjamin will be safe.  I can even feel the frustration in Judah when in vs 10 says “If we had not wasted time, we could have come back twice by now.”  Thus the journey back to Egypt begins, and through the rest of this chapter and the ones that follow we see, not without some more drama, the redemption that Joseph offered his family. 

As I meditated on the passages it struck me. Judah, his brothers and even Jacob were all living their lives in regret and fear due to the events that had transpired over the years.  Judah and his brothers were still hiding in the lies of what they had done to Joseph,  and Jacob in fear of losing his sons, thus corrupting their relationship with God.  They were stuck in their present situation, famine and in need of food.  Thinking on this I wondered how different the reactions of Jacob and his sons had would have been if the events and actions of this family had been more in line with God.

Then came the revelation, how many times due to guilt, fear or uncertainty have I not gone in the direction God wanted me to go?  How many times was I like the brothers did I shrink in fear because of something I had done in the past, or like Jacob lived in fear of not pursuing God’s will because of what “might happen to my sons”?  Then I realized, for all that Judah had done he finally stood up and went in the right direction, in a way, taking responsibility for his past action’s (and those of his brothers) and went on the journey, fully counting the cost if things did not work out.  I find myself at that same juncture… taking responsibility for my actions, confessing my sin, fears and doubts to God and begin my journey back to “Egypt”. How much time have I wasted in not pursuing God as we all should (could have “…come back twice by now”)?  In a nutshell, I need to trust God for what is going to do and allow him to guide me on that journey.

What is or where is “Egypt”?  Do not know but need to head that way so I might hear those words from God similar what Joseph said to his brothers… “Don’t be afraid, …….You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result…….” (Paraphrase of Gen. 50: 20).

Jars of Clay

I know it has been a long time since posting to my blog, due to not having or making time to write, but I felt impressed to share this word. 

While reading in the book of Judges these last several days, God has impressed upon me several new insights into our walk with Him.  In Judges chapter 7 is a story that I have been told and read more times than I can count, but the Holy Spirit has shown me some new things.  The story is that of Gideon and the routing of the Midian army.  Greatly outnumbered, Gideon and his group of 300 men were given a great victory by the hand of God.

 

By the Hand of God….not themselves but God.  How many times have I been in fear or overwhelmed by the situation that I was in?  More than I want to admit and unfortunately most of those time I was trying to deal with the situation in my own strength and/or knowledge.  The whole chapter has taught me several lessons but one stands out.

 

Gideon was instructed to take his 300 men,  along with a clay jar, torch inside and a horn, and surround the Midianites.  At the appropriate time they broke the jars showing the torches and blew the horns.  God then routed the enemy without the Israelis doing much of anything else.  While I have no doubt Gideon’s men had weapons there is no mention of weapons other than the jug, torch and horns, at the initial engagement.

It struck me that God did not need their help, but wanted it, if it was on His terms.  Being obedient was God’s terms.  As I read in 2 Corinthians 4:7 it hit me.  That verse says “Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us”.  Paul is telling his readers that we have God’s grace and power, through the Holy Spirit, in our lives (clay jars) and it is there for us to be able to overcome our adverse situations, ie…our “Midianite Army”! 

 

Just as Gideon and his men faced overwhelming odds they obeyed, broke their clay jars and let the fire be seen.  I was reminded that I need to “break” my clay jar and let “the Spirits” fire be seen.  By showing this fire we are showing the world  that we can face ANY obstacle or situation that is in our path.  Paul tells us this in vs 7 and most importantly he told us “…this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us”.  Just as Gideon discovered, and something I have to remind myself of every moment of the day that it is God who works his plan in my life not me!! 

 

Freedom to Bear Arms

While I have not listened to the President’s entire speech, this morning, the parts I have heard and what news I have read has left me more than concerned.  Several  times Mr. Obama mentions that all the legislation concerning guns will not affect hunters, collectors and shooters, and we as gun owners really have no need for military type/style weapons.  I strongly disagree!  The Second Amendment was never intended to be a “protection” for deer and duck hunters.  While I am 100% in support for hunting and sport shooting and have participated in both, the Second Amendment was written and intended to protect the American people from the government.  Not an outside government,  that is the purpose of our standing armed forces, but from our own government.  Mr. Obama has been very outspoken about support for Egypt, Libya and now Syrian rebels as they throw off their unjust rulers, and their use of actual military weapons in their struggle, yet wants to take away our weapons.  If for this reason only we as a people should be armed.  Many in Washington, including Pelosi, Schumer, Biden and many other, either have conceal carry permits or have armed body guards for themselves and or their families.  Most of Washington’s elites send their children to schools that have armed guards to protect their kids, yet these are the same legislators and elected officials that feel we and our families do not deserve the same protection they have.  It saddens me that this country has strayed so far away from what our founding fathers bled and died to achieve, the freedom our the American people.  

Council

It has been over a year since my last post on this blog site. I have not made the time to do so and have actually missed doing this. During this time of absence there have been many thing occur that have caused a great deal of concern in my life. The spiritual being of this country, the U.S. economic situation, my job, the current political landscape and events around the world all of which could and do have both positive and negative implications for me and my family.

As I ponder all of the "events" one thought keep crossing my mind more than any other. That thought is my God is in control. Do I adhere to this promise that I know has more truth than anything thing else? Sadly more often than not, I begin to allow the world and those around me to "filter" my observations. Events and struggles going on in my life try closing in around me and shut me off from my Savior and His voice. As I have struggled with this, God showed me a couple of verses in Proverbs that have started to reshape my thought pattern.

First and foremost I have known, for many years, and continue to learn that 90% of my "fears" and "doubts" come when I loose site of the fact that EVERYTHING that goes on around me is rooted in the spiritual war that is going on around me. In past blogs I have discussed spiritual warfare and in my own life have learned that how I fare in such a struggle depends on how in tune I am with God and His word. That has been an up and down battle as it is with most of my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Over the last couple of weeks I have been meditating on a couple of verses in Proverbs. In chapter 24, Solomon is advising his son's on the value of wisdom in many different situations. While verses 5-6 deal with warfare, I also feel they offer sound advise in spiritual warfare. "5 A wise warrior is better than a strong one, and a man of knowledge than one of strength; 6 for you should wage war with sound guidance - victory comes with many counselors." HCSB

God has impressed on me the need for knowledge and sound guidance, His knowledge and guidance! I can not fight this battle with my strength and by myself.  If I am to survive this conflict it will only be though God's hand leading me. I must search for His council/guidance, seek and use wisdom from gleaned from His word and through prayer and direction given by the Holy Spirit.  While some of this sound guidance may come through other devout Christians, i.e. sermons, lessons and books/devotionals, or my Christian family, it has been squarely placed on my shoulders that the vast majority must come through the Spirit from God.  In John 14:26 Christ tells us the Holy Spirit ".....will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you." HCSB

I'm listening.