To ensure that the Israelites did not get tempted to ignore the Sabbath, i.e. the day separated to the Lord, Nehemiah 
locked the gates to the city to shut out those who were selling their wares on the holy days. Those who do not understand the feasts and why they were implemented will wittingly or unwittingly violate them. It took just a few months being away from the people for them to violate the holy day of the Lord and the merchants did not want a second chance to sell to them(13:19ff). So what can we learn from this example today? Firstly, we need to protect the times we set aside to be with the Lord. Whether it is Friday, Saturday or Sunday, let us avoid distractions on those days and set it aside to worship the Lord. Secondly let us not be religious about the day, as Jesus said the day was made for man and not the other way around (Mark 2:27) i.e. you can reschedule. Finally, we are called to put God first in all that we do. This means that whatever talent we have we use it to bring glory to the Lord. So we glorify God if we are teaching in a school, working in a bank or putting parking tickets on cars as directed by the local authorities. Essentially we are to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all the things [you need] will be added to you also” (Matthew 6:33 paraphrased). If we fail to prioritise we will compromise. Read Matthew 6:25-34.
as we shut out distractions on our days with the Lord
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Glorify, Holy Days, Kingdon Principles, Seperation, Worship
as we bring back the feast of the Lord
We can get bogged down with work so much so that we make no time for the Lord. The majority of us have bills to pay, 
business to attend to and we need to find funds to make it happen. Unfortunately trying to make ends meet can become a never ending circle. We can end up living to work rather than working to live. This is what happened to the Israelites when they were in bondage, they worked from sun up to sunset, slept and then they were back on the job. The Lord changed this pattern and instituted the Sabbath. This was a day that people took off to be with their families in worship to the Lord. Suffice it to say that different people groups have added their own slant to the Sabbath. The Sabbath was a precursor for the feasts of the Lord. This was a time when God’s people would gather in worship of him and in remembrance of the great things he had done. They were instituted by the Lord and therefore should be acknowledged and kept. They all point to the redemptive work of the Lord Jesus and to his second coming (see Leviticus 23). So when Nehemiah is re-instituting the order of the Lord, he was getting the mindset of the people away from the treadmill and back towards what God ordered in the first place. The Lord wants his people to have true relationships with each other and to really care for one another. So when we meet to eat this allows us to be real and open. Today, let us take time out to celebrate God and have fellowship with each other. Read Nehemiah 13:15-22.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Feast of the Lord, Remembering, Rest, Sabbath, Time out, Work
as we protect the worshippers and intercessors and unblock our wells
One of the most difficult things that every believer faces is maintenance of their faith. Once our private life is ordered, 
that is, we are spending time with the Lord, reading his words and meditating on them, we can be tricked by the enemy. We must remember that from the creation narrative the most subtle of creatures was the serpent. It is still his job to subvert what God intended for us in the first place. In Nehemiah’s case, he went back to Susa to attend to the king’s business (13:6), since he was on a Sabbatical in Jerusalem bringing order to the house and to the city of God. In those days all travelling was done on horseback. So when he eventually got back to Jerusalem from Susa he found out that the person who was appointed to oversee the chambers was related to Tobiah and had moved out the vessels and provisions used to offer up sacrifices to God and rented the room to him. Having done all this work whilst fighting against the diabolical trinity of Sanballat, Tobaih and Geshem, it was being undone by an unsuspecting priest who was probably just helping out a cousin. It is evident that Eliashib the priest was just trying to help out his relative, however by not seeking advice from the man of God he brought one of the chief antagonists right into the centre of the house of God. Today as we build up our faith, it is imperative that we maintain it. Before we do anything, let us ask God about it first. Sometimes we may invite our families to stay with us and if we are ignorant of what they are involved in our ‘wells’ may be blocked up.
So what did Nehemiah do? He found out that the priests and singers had gone back ‘on the tools’, that is, they were in the field working instead of worshipping and interceding in the house of the Lord. So he ‘chucked’ out all of Tobaih’s things, cleansed the chambers and brought back the things of God into it (v.9). Is there anything or anyone you have brought into your house that is blocking up your well? Enquire from the Lord and when he gives you the answer, cleanse the house! Read 13:4-14.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Antagonist, Blindness, blocked Wells, Compalcency, Enquiring
as we build a spiritual wall around us
Once order is restored we must put first things first. Nehemiah tells us that Judah rejoiced over the Priests and the 
Levites who ministered (12:44b). It is interesting that Judah rejoiced or praised God. The meaning of Judah is “praise”. Judah was one of the tree tribes, along with Levi and Benjamin who did not rebel against Moses in worshipping the golden calf in the wilderness (Numbers 1:47ff). They worshipped the Lord instead. Let us look a bit into this. Jacob’s seven children with Leah had prophetic implications then and still do now. The first was called Reuben which means “behold” or to “look” in Hebrew. The second, Simeon means to “listen to”. The third, Levi means to be “Joined to” and the fourth “Judah” means “to praise”. After having four children Leah’s womb stops for a while. What are the significances for us today? Well firstly we must understand that God sees our hearts and knows our motives. Secondly he hears our cries and will listen to them. Thirdly he wants us to draw near to him so that he can lavish his blessings on us and lastly he wants us to praise him and to be ‘a praise’ for him. It was always God’s intention for us his people to Look to him, listen to him be joined to him and to praise him. When we fail to do this, we do not fulfil his prophetic purpose and declare his glory to the nations. Jesus was from the tribe of Judah and everything he did in his ministry brought glory and praise to God. Let us resolve that everything we do in our ministries will bring glory and praise to our God and will bring us near to him as his priests and kings (Exodus 19:6). Read Nehemiah 13:1-3.
as we take serious our responsibilities
Whatever you are appointed to do, you should do it with all your heart. Nehemiah took time and effort to ensure that 
all the bases were covered. After finishing the work he re-established the priests and the signers and assigned them to offer praises up to God on a regular basis. For him as it should be for us, repentance, contrition and confession must precede restoration. The physical restoration is only an outward manifestation of what is going on inside. The hearts of the people was warm and joyous. So they praised and thanked God for remembering them in spite of their short-comings and rebellion. One thing we can learn from the journey that Nehemiah went on is that there is a divine order and when it is followed, God shows up powerfully. If He did it for Nehemiah and his colleagues, he can do it for us today.
Pray with me; Dear Heavenly Father, I have not done what you called me to do, but from today I ask for your forgiveness and for your mercy. And I pledge that I will try my best to read your words on a regular basis, talk to you in prayer and praise you even though I have not received the victory as yet. Father God, hear my heart-felt prayer as I come to you covered with the blood of Jesus and therefore righteous, in the mighty name of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit, amen. Read Nehemiah 12:44-47.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Effort, Order, Praise Culture, Protocol, Restoration, Trust
as we ask the question, can I ‘bind’ myself with an oath to follow the Lord?
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.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Agreement, Confession, Covenant, Grace, Mercy, Weight of Glory
as we speak the word of faith as positive confession
One of my favourite scripture verses is takes from Romans 10:17 where the apostle Paul says this: “So Faith comes 
from hearing, that is, hearing the good news about Christ.” (NLT) And our faith will rise when we speak the words of Christ to ourselves. When a child hears a word that tells them they can, they generally do. And we are no different from the little child. We need to hear positive affirming words. So speak the word of faith to bring hope into all and every situation you face!
We come to realise then, that there are two types of confession, positive and negative. One brings bad news and the other good news. When we hear any news it affects us. For example, when we hear that we have been successful in an examination, we are elated and want to tell all those close to us. Similarly, when we hear that we may be suffering from a malignant disease, we can become withdrawn and lose the will to live.
Today the word to live by is this; speak words of life repeatedly to yourself, print them out, stick them to your wall and recite them. Place your faith not in faith, but in the giver of life. That is in Christ Jesus. It is he who has the words of life; it is he whose words raises the dead, heals the sick and causes the lame to walk. He said ‘My words are Spirit and they are life’ (John 6:63). Nehemiah understood this principle and shared it with all his peers. Positive confession starts with praising God. “Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.” (Nehemiah 9:5b-6); and ends in the name of Jesus. Negative confession start with a moan and end with how hard ‘done by’ you feel. Words are indeed powerful, so you chose the ones you receive in your spirit. Read Nehemiah 10:28-39.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Belief, Breath of Life, Faith, Fear, Fearlessness, Transcendance, Words
as we continue the confession/repentance/reparation process
One of the great things about confessing is acknowledgement of wrongs that we have done in the past and the wrongs 
our ancestors did. Many Christians still argue that we are not responsible for the wrongs that their ancestors did and therefore we should not confess on their behalf. I would argue that the wrongs done by our ancestors and the evil perpetrated on them has lasting effects and those effects are still in prevalent in operation today. The act of confession must precede repentance and repentance must occur before reparation can happen. The major problem faced by the scribe Ezra and the governor Nehemiah was getting the mindset of the people changed. So in the confession and worshipping process those leading this took the people back to where it all began. They spoke about the call of God on Abraham’s life. How his faithfulness led to God making a binding agreement with him (Gen 15:13) that He fulfilled 430 years after (Ex. 12). How he delivered His people from the grip of a ruthless slave master and gave them great wealth [the Egyptians gave the Israelite gold and precious items when they left]. And now this people who should be an example to those who served other gods were a disgrace because of their unbelief.
So should we as 21st century Christians repent for the wrongs our ancestors have done? Or do we just repent for our own wrongs?
Today, I believe that there is enough biblical evidence to suggest that we should repent, worship and praise on a regular basis. If we develop a theology of repentance we may never move on to true worshipping. Conversely, if we worship without first clearing the air in repentance we will never get the break through and see the glory of God. It is God’s mandate to be among his people, so let us make room for him to come and fellowship with us who heard him calling. Please read Nehemiah 9 again aloud, it is powerful.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Confession, Reparation, Repentance, Resolution, Restitution
as we break with the past and separate ourselves to the Lord
Ezra and Nehemiah started a process that touches the heart of God and if those principles are followed today then we 
will be able to change our communities for good. After identifying that the festivals the Lord instituted were for particular purposes and were designed to bring back the glory to his people, they became passionate about following them. To do this they had regular times of fasting and prayer which was prefaced by separating from those who did not know Yahweh or knew about the things that he did in the past. They also confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors. “In all that has happened to us, you have remained righteous; you have acted faithfully, while we acted wickedly” (Nehemiah 9:33). This sets the precedence for us breaking the effects of previous generations on our lives.
We must be reminded that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob always keeps his promises. Moses tells us that God visits the iniquities or the sins of the parents unto the children to the third and fourth generation. Alternatively, he pours out the blessings to a thousand generation to those who love him and keeps his commandments (Exodus 20:4-6). Ezra gives us a formula to break the generational curses that afflict us. We do this by repenting and confessing with fasting and prayer and then conclude with positive confession of what God has done, what he is doing and what he will do. Today we too can break the effects of past and declare the blessing from God over us and our families.
Read Nehemiah 9 and make a binding agreement with the Lord ch.9 v.38.
as we re-institute God’s calendar
As the days roll into weeks we can sometimes forget why God instituted certain festivals and then lose their 
significance. After going back to the word, Ezra the scribe read from the Law of Moses and explained how the people made booths. They then gathered leaves from the palm, the olive and the myrtle trees and made tents in their gardens and on their roofs to celebrate the time when their ancestors wandered in the wilderness. At that time God was teaching them to trust him as he provided supernaturally for them. However, like us today we soon forget the blessings and only focus on the times when we had no water or provision for tomorrow. By taking time out after completing the project of securing the people, Nehemiah and Ezra were reminding his people and future generations, that when God starts something he will finish it. The length of time it takes to complete it is dependent on the faith of those whom he has instructed to carry out his plans. When God ordains a thing, i.e. when he gives you a vision to do something, he will always supply the provision. This is because the God who brought his people out of Egypt is the same God who led them into the Promised Land. And when they forgot him, it was the same God who allowed them to go into exile. Now he was restoring them and it was up to them to restore the three major festivals, Passover, Booths and Weeks, to celebrate his provision. Today we call booths harvest or ingathering. This is when people bring the excess of their products to give away. God has a protocol and as we follow it he will show up supernaturally. The supernatural God is still the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. When He gives the vision he will make the provision! He did it for Moses and for Nehemiah and he will do it for us today.
Read Nehemiah 8:13-18.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tags: Expectation, Faith, Hope, Supernatural, Trust
Pastor Bell's Words To Live By 