Nehemiah 1:1-11
1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. It came to pass in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the citadel, 2 that Hanani one of my brethren came with men from Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who had survived the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. 3 And they said to me, “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.” 4 So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5 And I said: “I pray, Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, 6 please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned. 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. 8 Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations; 9 but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.’ 10 Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand. 11 O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” For I was the king’s cupbearer.
1. Recognize We Need Healing
Nehemiah 1:1-3
We can't expect healing if we don't know something is damaged.
Just like Nehemiah asked men from Judah how his country/country men were, we need to ask God what habits, sins, and hurts need to be healed in our lives.
2. Ask God to Heal and Rebuild
Nehemiah 1:5-11
Just like Nehemiah we need to recognize their need and than ask God to work in us.
We need to cry out to God, pray for guidance, wisdom and his favor as we do His will.
3. Accept the help of those God surrounds you with during the rebuilding
Nehemiah 2:1-5,8, 15-18 (Chapter 3)
Nehemiah asked the king to allow him to go rebuild the walls, the King obliged and than Nehemiah had help from his fellow countrymen.
When we are being rebuilt/healed God will use others to help us along the way. Don't turn down their help or be afraid to ask for it.
4. Be prepared for obstacles while your healing is being done
Nehemiah 4:1-3
Just because we've released the hurt to God doesn't mean the enemy is going to leave us alone.
5. Willing to fight off the enemy while rebuilding
Nehemiah 4:6-23
Nehemiah and His help worked together to fight off the enemy.
We also need to put on the armor of God daily and be ready to fight at anytime.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
What is Your Prize?
What is your Prize?
By: Katie Rogers
What are prizes people strive for? What do people spend their time trying to achieve?
• Money
• Possessions such as cars and houses
• Latest Technology, computers, smart phones, etc
I often strive for prizes that involve food (Get an A on a test I deserve cake)
So often we strive for financial success. So often we strive for a title but that is not the prize God longs for us to search and seek after. Striving for worldly prizes only leave us wanting more, but as we run the race for God we lack for nothing.
2 Timothy 4:6-8
6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
1 Corinthians 9:24-25
24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.
Hebrews 12:1
1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.- New Living!
Our Prize is found in serving God and doing His will.
The race isn’t easy, it’s not quick but it is worth the training, the sweat and the sacrifice.
1. Train
Just as a runner stretches, runs, lifts weights we also need to train by:
-Read the Word
-Pray and Seek God’s Face
-Lift one another up/use our gifts to bless, encourage and glorify God.
2. Athletes Eat Right, They follow a strict diet
Just as an athlete eats according to their diet so we need to. Athletes cut out the junk and eat healthy
-Cut out improper relationships
-Cut out immorality
-Remove the sin
Replace the junk with the Word, wholesome relationships and a faith in Christ.
Our prize should be seeking, finding and knowing God and than using our skills to fulfill the destiny God has set before us.
Don’t give up on running the race, find those who will uplift, encourage and hold you accountable to running the race and obtaining the Ultimate prize.
As we seek God and allow him to be our coach, everything else will fall into place.
By: Katie Rogers
What are prizes people strive for? What do people spend their time trying to achieve?
• Money
• Possessions such as cars and houses
• Latest Technology, computers, smart phones, etc
I often strive for prizes that involve food (Get an A on a test I deserve cake)
So often we strive for financial success. So often we strive for a title but that is not the prize God longs for us to search and seek after. Striving for worldly prizes only leave us wanting more, but as we run the race for God we lack for nothing.
2 Timothy 4:6-8
6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
1 Corinthians 9:24-25
24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.
Hebrews 12:1
1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.- New Living!
Our Prize is found in serving God and doing His will.
The race isn’t easy, it’s not quick but it is worth the training, the sweat and the sacrifice.
1. Train
Just as a runner stretches, runs, lifts weights we also need to train by:
-Read the Word
-Pray and Seek God’s Face
-Lift one another up/use our gifts to bless, encourage and glorify God.
2. Athletes Eat Right, They follow a strict diet
Just as an athlete eats according to their diet so we need to. Athletes cut out the junk and eat healthy
-Cut out improper relationships
-Cut out immorality
-Remove the sin
Replace the junk with the Word, wholesome relationships and a faith in Christ.
Our prize should be seeking, finding and knowing God and than using our skills to fulfill the destiny God has set before us.
Don’t give up on running the race, find those who will uplift, encourage and hold you accountable to running the race and obtaining the Ultimate prize.
As we seek God and allow him to be our coach, everything else will fall into place.
What Do You Wash With? Are you Clean?
What Do You Wash With? Are You Clean?
By: Katie Rogers
How many of you would say that you’re clean today?
What do you wash with? Dove? Suave? Bath and Body Works products?
No matter what product you buy, no matter how many showers you take your not clean until you’ve been washed in the blood. God wants to wash us inside and out with his blood, with his cleansing power.
1 John 1:6-8 (New International Version)
6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[a] sin. 8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
Jesus’ blood was shed so we could be free from the curse, cleansed of all the sins we have committed and will commit. Jesus’ blood cleanses us so well we don’t have to worry about dry skin, missed spots or washing multiple times. We don’t have to worry about guilt, shame and condemnation.
Hebrews 13:11-13 (New International Version)
11The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. 12And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. 13Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore.
Jesus paid the ultimate price by giving his life on the cross and shedding his blood so that we could be washed. In the times before Jesus the people had to find a perfect animal that was fit for sacrifice and perform a ceremony to be cleansed of their sins. But Jesus changed that when he died upon the cross for us. He was the ultimate perfect sacrifice; his blood was the answer for us.
Jesus’ blood allows us to come to him for cleansing without a ceremony or chaos. It’s easy, Ask Jesus into your heart and to forgive you of your sins and his blood washes over you and cleanses you. And when you sin and become dirty again all you have to do is come to the throne and ask for forgiveness and he washes us again.
Are you washed in the blood? Are you clean today?
By: Katie Rogers
How many of you would say that you’re clean today?
What do you wash with? Dove? Suave? Bath and Body Works products?
No matter what product you buy, no matter how many showers you take your not clean until you’ve been washed in the blood. God wants to wash us inside and out with his blood, with his cleansing power.
1 John 1:6-8 (New International Version)
6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[a] sin. 8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
Jesus’ blood was shed so we could be free from the curse, cleansed of all the sins we have committed and will commit. Jesus’ blood cleanses us so well we don’t have to worry about dry skin, missed spots or washing multiple times. We don’t have to worry about guilt, shame and condemnation.
Hebrews 13:11-13 (New International Version)
11The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. 12And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. 13Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore.
Jesus paid the ultimate price by giving his life on the cross and shedding his blood so that we could be washed. In the times before Jesus the people had to find a perfect animal that was fit for sacrifice and perform a ceremony to be cleansed of their sins. But Jesus changed that when he died upon the cross for us. He was the ultimate perfect sacrifice; his blood was the answer for us.
Jesus’ blood allows us to come to him for cleansing without a ceremony or chaos. It’s easy, Ask Jesus into your heart and to forgive you of your sins and his blood washes over you and cleanses you. And when you sin and become dirty again all you have to do is come to the throne and ask for forgiveness and he washes us again.
Are you washed in the blood? Are you clean today?
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