Tag Archives: Nehemiah

Fasting together: Just keep doing good

Fasting together: Just keep doing good. I know my title is not grammatically correct, so please don’t send me emails about that (smile). But it works for this post. Have you just finished your first week of fasting? Are you yet to get started? Fasting the 21 day Daniel Fast or just a meal or two here or there? However you decide to input a fast into your spiritual walk, do it unto the Lord. You can read our previous post here: Fasting in Preparation for a New Year, Rebuild and Restore, Daniel Fast Basics, Anoint your head, wash your face, When Fasting Turns Ugly, Is there POWER in fasting? Just keep doing good Daniel Fast Snacks

Evil is joining in agreement with someone else to slander another or cause harm to another. This breaks the heart of God. Evil is always sin but maybe sin is not necessarily always what we call evil. Evil is preconceived sin; planned sin, even conniving sin.

The Bible says we were “born into sin”, it is inherently in our nature. But through the cross we now have forgiveness of sins, an advocate in Jesus Christ the Righteous! We can go before Him when we sin (and we will) and receive His mercy.

Why didn’t God do away with our sinful nature when Jesus was nailed to the tree? Why, when we are buried with Him in baptism and our sins are washed away, do we continue to sin, even unwillingly or unknowingly? Jesus could have taken that sinful nature from us and made us perfect, obedient creatures, couldn’t He?

“God created things which had free will. If a thing is free to be good it’s also free to be bad. And free will is what has made evil possible. Why, then, did God give them free will? Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having.” C.S. Lewis, The Case for Christianity

We must serve Him and love Him with our FREE WILL. We love Him for what He has done for us and out of hearts of gratitude and thankfulness; not because we are forced to do so. That wouldn’t be love!

So we are in the world. An evil world. We cannot change it, for the most part, and must walk in it each and every day. So, what to do about it?

Prayer, coupled with fasting, strengthens us and gives us boldness and power in the Holy Ghost to withstand the evil that is in the world.

The prophet Nehemiah fasted when he heard that his beloved city of Jerusalem had been reduced to ruins by evil.

Nehemiah was heartbroken at the news he had received of his homeland.

He sat down.

He cried.

He mourned.

For days.

He fasted.

He prayed.

He asked for mercy when he went before the king. He also humbly asked for permission, for caution and wisdom. Then, with the kings permission, he headed to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls!

While rebuilding the walls of his beloved Jerusalem, he wouldn’t stop for anything, even when they were being attacked by evil! In Nehemiah 4:17, we see how Nehemiah continued doing good in the midst of a battle, “…The laborers carried on their work with one hand supporting their load and one hand holding a weapon.”

He just kept on doing good.

Have the walls of your life been broken down?
Does the enemy of your soul lie to you and torment you on every turn?
Are you filled with anxiety, fear and dread every day?

Weep, mourn, fast, pray, ask for caution and wisdom. Then what?

Start rebuilding the walls!

Put your faith and confidence in the One who delivers, heals, restores and brings peace to a troubled mind. Let Him give you the strength to put one stone upon another and rebuild the walls in your life.

“Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:21.

Evil will remain in the world until Satan is bound. But we do not have to let evil overcome us or become a part of us.

Jesus prayed for God to keep you from the Evil One. Today, through prayer and study of His Word, through relationship, Christ IN you, He has left you with the power to live an overcoming life!

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NIV

God answers prayers of sacrifice, desperation and commitment. What are you praying for today? Fast and pray and let God speak to you through His Word!

Daniel Fast Recipe for today!

Veggies in a Flat Wrap

2 WHOLE GRAIN flatbread wraps

1 cup shredded carrot

1 cup shredded zucchini

¼ cup red onion, diced fine (optional)

1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Sea salt and pepper to taste

4 Tablespoons hummus

Combine carrot, zucchini, onion, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper in a bowl and toss well to make a slaw. Spread your hummus over the tortilla wraps. Place a handful of slaw on top of the hummus. Grind some fresh pepper over top and add a few pumpkin seeds or other favorite seeds. Roll up the wraps and serve!

The Daniel Fast, A Devotional, is a great tool for ANY fast that you choose as a sacrifice to the Lord. 21 days of devotions and recipes too. Available in eBook or paperback!

The Daniel Fast: Never give up!

He sat down.

He cried.

He mourned.

For days.

He fasted.

He prayed.

He asked for mercy when he went before the king. He also humbly asked for permission, for caution and wisdom. Then he headed to Jerusalem to rebuild the city!

Nehemiah was sold out and committed. The gate was being restored, the city was being rebuilt and he was in charge. The people were under fear of attack at any time. They worked from sunrise to sunset with half of the men always on guard. They never even took off their clothes but carried their weapons with them at all times, even when they went for water. “…The laborers carried on their work with one hand supporting their load and one hand holding a weapon.” Nehemiah 4:17

Nehemiah, and those working with him, would not come down from the wall until the job was completed! They didn’t sit down and whine and complain that it was too hard. They didn’t stop the work and wait for the attack that they knew was inevitable. They kept on working and yet were vigilant at the same time.

Nehemiah even tells them in verse 19, “…the work is very spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. When you hear the blast of the trumpet, rush to wherever it is sounding. Then our God will fight for us!”

Nehemiah knew he couldn’t do it alone. It took fasting, prayer and being totally committed to the work and cause of the Kingdom. He never gave up.

Have the walls of your life been broken down?

Does the enemy of your soul lie to you and torment you on every turn?

Are you filled with anxiety, fear and dread every day?

Then do like Nehemiah: Weep, mourn, fast, pray, ask for caution and wisdom. Then what?

Start rebuilding the foundation in your life!

If God isn’t first in your life; change that. Start your day with prayer and The Word and work on your relationship with Him. Put your faith and confidence in the One who delivers, heals, restores and brings peace to a troubled mind. Let Him give you the strength to put one stone upon another.

Never give up!

God answers prayers of sacrifice, desperation and commitment. What are you praying for today?

Don’t forget to get your copy of The Daniel Fast Devotional! Great for ANY FAST, it will be your go-to tool for years to come. Already have one in Kindle or paperback? Blessings to you as you fast unto the Lord.

Hi, my name is Door. Door Keeper. Part 4.

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Today we are looking at Part 4 of our Mini-Series on The Door Keeper. You can catch up by clicking on each link for Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

Uzzah, Obed-Edom and Jim.

My very first recollections of a Door Keeper take me back to the early 1970’s. This church is where I met The Sweetheart, where we dated, grew up, were married and even dedicated our firstborn. It was a good church with a great pastor who loved people and loved God. The Church was known for having some of the friendliest people in our town and the best cooks anywhere.

We also had a Door Keeper. This is before greeters became a big deal in The Church, before organized and structured welcoming staff were trained and taught that first impressions help to grow your church.

Let me introduce you to Jim.

He was ahead of his time. Jim wasn’t a boy like Jacob that you met earlier. Jim was a grown man with a wife and two sons. He was a student of the Word. He sat on the second row every single service with a large notepad and pen. He took notes the entire service. I always assumed he was writing about the kids, the young people or troublemakers. I thought he was taking attendance and would report to the pastor later on who was there and who was just skipping out. We would joke and dare each other to swipe the book so we could read it and see if our names were in there. He never missed church at all that I remember unless he was very, very sick.

Back in the day, in this country church, we had service on Saturday night, Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night. (I know, right?!) Jim was always there, just inside the door with a smile, (always a smile) a welcome, a very firm handshake for one hand and a songbook to put in the other. He wasn’t just dependable, he was constant; he was faithful to God and to his church family.

Jim was just as serious about his service in other areas of the Church as he was at the door to the house of God. He didn’t think he was too good to dig ditches, spread mulch, clean a bathroom, run a vacuum or wash dishes, if need be. Jim was our Sunday School Superintendent for years but didn’t suggest someone else go out and knock doors on Saturday or drive the bus on Sunday. Jim did both. Many weeks he did this all by himself.

I always thought of Jim as someone who guarded the Church, literally and figuratively. He wouldn’t have allowed anyone to disrupt the service or to hurt the man of God. He would have stepped in and protected both in an instant. Yet, in all of his serving he didn’t miss out on worship. He sang with every ounce of his being, hands raised in adoration to the King of Kings, the Word of God right beside him. It reminded me of Nehemiah building the wall, he did the work with one hand and had a weapon in the other.

He didn’t bring glory to Jim; he pointed others to Jesus Christ.

There was another man in the Old Testament who was a doorkeeper for the Presence of God. He didn’t ask to be, that we can tell; greatness was just thrust upon him.

“So David was not willing to take the ark of the Lord into the city of David. But David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.” 2 Samuel 6:10.

Obed-Edom. Why was he chosen to house the Ark of the Covenant that contained the Ten Commandments? (Aaron’s rod that budded and manna were also inside the Ark.)

King David had decided to bring the Ark (the presence of God) back to Jerusalem. Remember, the Ark was all but forgotten during the reign of King Saul, which sounds unbelievable for something of this magnitude of importance. Yet, the Ark was in the house of Abinadab and had been there a long time, seventy years! David just takes the bull by the horns, so to speak, and sets off to bring it home. It seems he didn’t put much thought into the proper procedures and along the way, Uzzah, the son of Abinadab, was struck dead just for reaching out to steady the Ark!

I have always wondered about Uzzah. If he was Abinadab’s son, wouldn’t he have known how to take care of the Ark? Were they so complacent, so used to having it just sitting around but not being cared for, or used, that they didn’t realize its significance any longer? Treating the supernatural as something common and ordinary? Do we do the same today?

So after this unfortunate occurrence, David was afraid and realized that he must reassess his plan to bring the presence of God back home so he sends the Ark to the house of Obed-Edom for three solid months. Now, Obed-Edom was of the tribe of Levi and we have seen already that the Levites were in charge of the temple and its care. They were also doorkeepers!

It is likely that Obed-Edom was a simple man, probably not wealthy or famous but he had a home that he willingly offered for the presence of Almighty God to dwell in. The Bible says that for the entire time the Ark was in the house of Obed-Edom that they were blessed. “Now King David was told, ‘The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God.’” 2 Samuel 6:12 NIV.

This same Ark toppled Dagon and killed Uzzah but it blessed Obed-Edom because of his willingness and sacrifice and he was changed forever. He was a doorkeeper of the Ark of the Covenant, just as we are doorkeepers today of the house of God and the Presence of God! David knew that if he could get it back to its rightful place where it belonged then the entire city would benefit.

1 Corinthians 16:13, 14 ESV. “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.”

Today we stand guard of the house of the Lord, of the Church, the Body, we are all Door Keepers. We don’t need uniforms like hotel bellmen for others to recognize us as such. We do need humility of heart and the love of God to shine forth in our actions and words because we are protectors of the Church…

Keepers of the Door.

Join us tomorrow for Part 5 in our Mini-Series on The Door Keeper. You won’t want to miss meeting the last Door Keeper. Be blessed and feel free to share with us your recollections of Door Keepers in your life.

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Tag Archives: Nehemiah

Fasting together: Just keep doing good

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