At church, we’re doing a study on Nehemiah. Most recently, the pastor taught from the fourth chapter titled (in my Bible): “Progress in Spite of Opposition.”
Background up to this point: Nehemiah, the Persian king’s cupbearer, heard about the destruction of the walls of his hometown, Jerusalem, and the devastation of his people, the Israelites. He got permission from the king and left with his permission to return home, gather his people together and rebuild the city’s walls.
Up until this point, the people had made progress but there were still gaps in the wall. But some leaders in surrounding areas got upset when they heard what was going on and decided to attack the Israelites and destroy what progress they had made. Nehemiah placed individuals and their families—the jewelers, the goldsmiths, the gatekeepers, and others from all walks of life—in the lowest gaps and armed them with a weapon in one hand while they continued to work with the other.
We can assume they were terrified, because Nehemiah told them, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the great and awe-inspiring Lord, and fight for your countrymen, your sons and daughters, your wives and homes” (Nehemiah 4:14).
The story goes on that everything turned out OK. The wall was rebuilt in 52 days and God protected the Israelites.
But this really got me thinking about our roles as Christians today. How often do we stand in the gap and fight for our faith? Or how many times do we stand behind the wall, almost silently squeaking out our praises to the Lord, and hope the enemy doesn’t see, attack, and bludgeon us?
In chapter four, Nehemiah went on to say, “And I, my brothers, my men, and the guards with me never took off our clothes. Each carried his weapon, even when washing” (Nehemiah 4:23).
And Ephesians 6:11-18 says: “Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil. For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. This is why you must take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take the shield of faith, and with it you will be able to extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s word. With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and stay alert in this, with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.”
Do you always wear the full armor of God? Are you ready to stand in the gap and defend your faith at any time?
Also posted on: http://josiahroad.com/article/stand-in-the-gap
It’s not often that you hear of young people who are changing the world. If teens today are anything like I was, then most of them are only concerned with sleeping in and doing everything possible to not miss the next big social event.
Recently, I read an article about five guys from Acworth, Georgia, who don’t fit the mold mentioned above. No, they aren’t superheroes; they are life-changers.
It all started when a young man named Conner Cress, a junior in high school, saw an image in a magazine of a “skeletal-looking baby, with toothpick-thin arms and legs and wide hopeless eyes,” accompanied by an equally sad story about the horrific conditions in Third World countries due to poverty, starvation, and dehydration. Conner felt he needed to do something. So he brought the issue to four of his closest buddies—Logan, Dan, Kyle, and Jared.
From that group and their desire to do something to help others, they created a solution. Dry Tears, an organization to help provide clean drinking water to people in Africa, was formed. They chose the name to represent the lack of tears produced when someone is suffering from dehydration. The boys used their savings to purchase 1,000 bracelets with the words “Dry Tears” printed on them, and they began selling them.
Today, these young men have created a movement of change. They travel around speaking to schools and youth groups in their community. And they continue to raise money by selling rubber bracelets and T-shirts to support this campaign.
Breakaway magazine recently featured a story on these guys. The article stated: “Around the world, 1.1 billion people do not have access to clean water. Each day, about 6,000 people, mostly children, die from diseases related to bad or no water; that’s nearly 2.2 million deaths a year.”
Many times, we take for granted the freedoms, privileges, and blessings we have living in this country. Even in the simple things—like having clean water to drink. Jesus called us to serve others. Our “neighbors” in Africa are suffering—and so are people in our own backyards.
Jesus said, “I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me’” (Matthew 25:40, HCSB). These young men are setting the example (see 1 Timothy 4:12), living out service to others (see Hebrews 13:16), and expressing their love for God. Even as teenagers, they are a fitting model for all of us.
Also posted on: http://josiahroad.com/article/dry-tears
“Set apart the Messiah as Lord in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.”
—1 Peter 3:15 (HCSB)
I’ve heard sermons and Bible studies based on this verse more than once in my lifetime. But just recently, it came alive for me in a real-life situation.
A new girl joined our small group this past week. We’ll call her Sarah. A friend of mine introduced her to my roommates and me, so we invited her over. We all went through the typical introductory questions: Where are you from? What do you do? How long have you lived here? And she seemed like the rest of us—until we started the study.
My roommate asked everyone to open to 1 John 2. Sarah pulled out a brand-new Bible that was still covered in factory stickers and plastic. As she cracked it open for the first time, she looked at my roommate and whispered, “My Bible is new. Can you show me where First John is?” It wasn’t hard to notice that she was unfamiliar with the book lying on her lap.
As we talked about what it meant for a Christ-follower to live a righteous life, Sarah fired off one question after another trying to understand what John was talking about in his letter. It suddenly hit me. This girl didn’t know anything about Jesus.
At first, I thought she must have been a new believer. But as we dug deeper into the study, it became apparent she hadn’t even made that decision yet.
Sarah grew up in California. She attended a church for underprivileged people until she was a teen, but really never knew God. In high school, she was told by one of the church members that her family was only worth anything to the church because of the paycheck they gave each week.
Poof! She had been burned by the Church in an instant.
Sick of God and Christianity, Sarah moved to L.A. after high school. From there, she pursued music and tried every religion in the book—Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, Catholicism, Scientology, and more. Most recently, she told us she left a New Age church where she had been active for quite a while.
She moved to Nashville to pursue music, but quickly got involved with a wild crowd who partied every weekend and spent most of their days in a drunken stupor. However, on January 1, she decided it was time to make some changes in her life. Still unsure of God, Sarah has decided to give this “religion” a try for 90 days.
Lucky for us, she found us 30 days into her experiment. She explained that she’s searching for truth and believes all religions teach some sort of it, but she wants to give the God she knew as a child another chance. This girl has had my heart and thoughts in a tangled mess for days now.
Her situation has made me realize that I have surrounded myself with only Christians—at my job, at home, the friends I chose—my entire life.
How could I ever share my faith in such a comfortable situation? Why would I need to give a defense to anyone asking for the reason for the hope that is in me? There’s been no point. But there are millions of people just like Sarah right next door who are wandering aimlessly throughout life—trying on a new religion every other month.
This encounter simply intensified the urgency for me to share Jesus with those who are searching for answers. I’m going to make it my goal to seek them out, walk with them through life, and hopefully lead them straight to the truth they’re looking for.
Jesus, bring new people across my path who are searching for You and need to hear Your message of hope. Give me wisdom and courage to share with them the truth. Amen.
Also posted on: http://josiahroad.com/article/searching
Every February, during the days leading up to the 14th of the month, you can walk into almost any store and find an abundance chocolate hearts wrapped in foil, stuffed teddy bears in a wide variety of colors, cards that send out affectionate messages, and pink- and red-colored everything else.
In the United States, Valentine’s Day is the holiday when both lovers and friends express their feelings for others through romantic exchanges of cards, candy, presents, flowers, and other gifts. For some, it is a favorite holiday. And for others, it is dreaded and despised. Nonetheless, people spend pocketfulls of money each year at this time to show just how much they love those special someones in their lives.
So where did this holiday originate? Who first started the concept of setting aside one particular day out of the year to show those special people how you really feel?
History says that Valentine’s Day is possibly named after one of three early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine who were killed in ancient Rome.
One legend says that Valentine was a priest during the third century. During that time, Roman Emperor Claudius II outlawed marriage for young soldiers—claiming single men made better warriors. Valentine defied the injustice Claudius imposed by performing marriages for young lovers in secret. When he was found out, he was put to death.
Other theories say that Valentine was put to death for helping Christian escape harsh Roman prisons where they were beaten and tortured.
And yet another legend says that, while in prison, Saint Valentine fell in love with a young girl who visited him often. Before his death, rumor has it that he sent the first “valentine” in the form of a letter to her signed “From your Valentine.”
The truth behind these stories still remains a mystery today. But the message of sacrificial, undying love clearly continues to live on and even began before time. I don’t even know how many times the Bible mentions love—but I do know that it’s at the very core of who God is. This holiday should be a large reminder of what the Bible says about love:
- Proverbs 10:12—Hatred stirs up conflicts, but love covers all offenses.
- John 15:13—No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends.
- John 3:16—For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
- 1 John 3:16—This is how we have come to know love: He laid down His life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers.
- And the infamous passage from 1 Corinthians 13 (1-7, 13): "If I speak the languages of men and of angels, but do not have love, I am a sounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have [the gift of] prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so that I can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I donate all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient; love is kind. Love does not envy; is not boastful; is not conceited; does not act improperly; is not selfish; is not provoked; does not keep a record of wrongs; finds no joy in unrighteousness, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. … Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love."
In a society that is becoming increasingly selfish and less about loving others, we should be the first to practice daily before others the true, sacrificial, biblical love of Jesus. Make a new commitment. Start fresh today.
Also posted on: http://josiahroad.com/article/from-your-valentine
My prayer life took a dramatic turn a few years ago. I was thriving in my freelance writing jobs. But after a year of commitment to their projects and when I least expected it, my most solid client dropped me like a bad habit.
They said, “It’s not you, it’s us.”
Classic breakup line, right? I felt so rejected and almost a little betrayed. My mom and dad couldn’t provide the answers as to why this had happened. My friends didn’t know what to say. I felt like no one even really cared about the situation. But it was a really big deal to me.
So I got in my car, drove aimlessly around Dallas, Texas, and eventually started venting to God about my crisis. It felt weird at first—honestly spilling my guts and using a tone that I thought may be somewhat irreverent in his presence.
But then I realized something. That’s the way he wants me to come to him—he wants to talk with the real me. He sees all of my junk, my thoughts, and my actions every day anyway. Why not talk openly with him about it? Why not share my deepest emotions and feelings with the one who created me?
I don’t make it a habit of being mad at God or taking weekly road trips in order to talk to Him about my misfortunes or headaches. But I have learned to have real, candid conversations with him about my hurt, my joy, my day at work, my friends, my desires, my job—things like that.
Since I made this discovery, my prayer life has become more alive than ever before. I don’t feel like I’m praying to the ceiling any longer. I feel connected to the Father in a way that is even harder for me to explain. I never fully understood it when people would talk about Jesus as if he were their best friend. But now I do.
When I am feeling lonely, I talk to him. When something great has happened in my life, I thank him profusely for his blessings and tell him how sovereign I truly believe he is. When someone or some situation has tripped me up, I ask him questions and wait for his answers.
No longer are my prayers ritualistically rigid. They have morphed into beautiful conversations with the one I adore, the lover of my soul, and my very best friend—Jesus.
Also posted on here on JosiahRoad.com.
At church, we’re doing a study on Nehemiah. Most recently, the pastor taught from the fourth chapter titled (in my Bible): “Progress in Spite of Opposition.”
