Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Nehemiah 11

For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The Lord of hosts is his name. 
Isa 48:2

They have built the wall so now what is going to feel up the city? 

They were casting Lots(flipping a coin) 
A priest did it and because he was a man of God they thought God was speaking through the priest and using him when casting the Lots.
They really didn't want to be chosen in these Lots they wanted to be the one to leave. 

The lot causeth contentions to cease, and parteth between the mighty. 
Prov. 18:18

They have seen everything and all of God's work.
So why would they not want to stay? 
There was a huge obligation to stay in the city now. There were standards. 
They didn't want to be in the eye of scrutiny. 

These were people who had seen the Living God, but didn't want to stay in his presence. 
Why would we stay in his Presence? 
  1. Fear
  2. Cost
  3. Religious requirements
  4. Loved the experience of Power they felt but may require change -Selfishness settled in 
  5. Some enjoyed the nearness but still preferred the World 
We say we are Christians, but there is so much distraction we really can not grow in him. 
  • We need to be still
  • he will honor us if we find that time
  • if we don't we loose our edge we become dull. 
Sometimes we want enough to make us comfortable, but not to have to change. 

Do we know him fully? 
Are we truly following? 

A lot of times we give into the superficial. 

Why do we hesitate to call to him first? 

Now the word of the Lord came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of theLord, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
 Jonah 1:1-3 

The Lord spoke to Jonah, Jonah heard and then ignored. 

Just like the people of Israel. 
Jonah's disobedience landed him in the belly of a Fish. ( Then he decides to listen) 

God will speak as many times as he needs to and he will put things in our way to make us listen. 

It is up to us if we actually do. 

Sometimes we have a picture of the way something should be or look. We need to give it up. 

Jonah became angry with God. 
He didn't think grace should have been given to the people. he didn't want to go because he knew that God would show them Grace and bring them to him.  God was compassionate and Jonah knew this. He didn't think this was the way. They didn't deserve this. 

Are we real about our Faith? 
Do we want to invite him into every facet of our lives? 
Do we want to leave him behind  when we know that he is going to do something in our minds we don't like or agree with? 

2 Chronicles 8

Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established.
 Prov. 16:3
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
 Phil. 2:13

We could save ourselves a lot of pain if we would just listen the first time. 

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.
 Phil 3:10 (intimate relationship) 

If we saw God and was so comfortable in his presence. Like that comfy chair you love you just didn't want to leave it. 

You cannot manufacture the glory of God in your life. 
Don't we want to know him so well that we will go? 

 Are we Dynamite in the world that is stagnant?  



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