Pastor Bell's Words To Live By

It is one thing to make a confession a put all your faults on the table, but a completely different ball-game to cut a covenant that,’ you will endure a curse if you default on the agreement you’ve made.’ This was the case with Nehemiah and the returnees from exile. They argued that since God had been so good in allowing them to come back to his holy city; to build houses and live in them and to worship him in a place where the weight of his glory was evident, they would sign an agreement enacting a curse if they defaulted.  Could you do such a thing? We are so fortunate that we live in the period of ‘grace’ since we are reminded that ‘grace was given to each of us as Christ apportioned it’ (Ephesians 4:7). However, are we to be so arrogant that we deceive ourselves and live in perpetual deception? No, God forbid! Since we are heirs and joint heirs with Jesus let us put away falsehood, remember the oath we took at baptism, ‘I will serve you until death’ and return to the Lord in repentance.  It is only then that we will avoid the curses that await all those who turn their back on the king of glory. I want to be like Nehemiah and say to God, to the best of my ability I will serve you, keep your commandments and will remember to set aside one day every week to devote solely to worshipping you!  And moreover, ‘I will not neglect your house O God’, Nehemiah 10:30b. Please read Nehemiah 10:37-39.