Posted by: pastorapbell | March 14, 2011

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.

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Posted by: pastorapbell | March 12, 2011

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.

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Posted by: pastorapbell | March 11, 2011

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.

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Posted by: pastorapbell | March 10, 2011

as we get back to the future

One of the most important things in any individual’s life is to know that you are walking in step with the eternal spirit, Yahweh. Nehemiah heard from the Lord, built the wall around Jerusalem and encouraged people to settle in the fortified city. Now they needed to hear the word and remember what God had directed them to do in the first place, namely to be an example to those around them. So Ezra took the people back to where they started from, the word of God.  Going back to the word should be the default position for everyone. Wherever God places you and whatever you have achieved, always go back and give him thanks on a regular basis. Ezra blessed the Lord for his provision, lifted up his hands bowed down his head before the Lord in obeisance and worship.

Today always go back to God in whatever situation you find yourself. Everything that starts and end with the word will succeed. In our busy lives remember to take a day off and enquire of the Lord about where he wants to take you.

Read Nehemiah 8:1-12.

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Posted by: pastorapbell | March 9, 2011

as we complete the restorative process

After the foundation is laid and the walls are built, the restorative process must be completed. This is done by having the right people in the right places. Firstly, the gatekeepers must be appointed. These are the people who are on high alert and monitor who is coming in or is attempting to come in. The gatekeepers must be sensitive, alert and open to be guided by the Holy Spirit. Next to be appointed are the singers. These are people who attract and present an atmosphere for miraculous occurrences. The worshippers are crucial, as they cause the angelic presence to show up in the locality. As the praises to God are offered up, the scene is set to resemble heaven. In heaven there is constant worship led by the angelic singers who are constantly singing, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God the Almighty who was and is and is to come. You are worthy our Lord and God to receive glory and honour and power for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” Rev. 4:8b &11. Finally the priests are appointed. These are the people who present the petition of the people to God. They have the people’s needs on their hearts. This was a part of Nehemiah’s job whilst he was restoring the physical walls of Jerusalem.

So today the order in which we do things is as follows:

Have people who know and monitor what goes in and out of your temple, through all the relevant gates: The eyes, the ears, the nostrils, the mouth, your hands and feet.

Then have a melody in your heart at all times and

Finally present your needs to the father.

For Nehemiah total restoration was achieved and Jerusalem, the city of God was secured. We too can achieve total restoration.

 Read Nehemiah 7:1-4, 70-73 & Revelation 4:1-11.

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Posted by: pastorapbell | March 8, 2011

as our opposition pushes us towards God

There are many times in our lives when things are going well. It is at these times that we tend to spend less and less time with God because we are busy doing our own things. However, when we are faced with an impending calamity, or we hear bad news about our physical condition, or someone who is healthy and vibrant suddenly gets struck down, we take time out to seek God about it.  Nehemiah faced these problems; his opponents were constantly trying to distract him and to get him to stop doing what God had placed in his heart to do. They sent letters (emails) (Ch. 6:2), they plotted to cause confusion among those who were builders (Ch.4:8), and threatened to kill him (Ch.6:10). However he took his eyes off his immediate problems and focused on God. He was able to complete the building of the wall in 52 days (6:15) and see the promises of the lord fulfilled in his day.

There will always be people who are sent to discourage you and who will guide you off the track that God laid out for you. There are those who will delay the purposes of God in your life by their antics. But like Nehemiah and Daniel after him, practice the spiritual discipline that God instituted, i.e. declare a fast, take your eyes off your circumstances and invite God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit into the situation and praise him for the victory the he has given you, even though you don’t see it yet. Like Nehemiah, we will face opposition from outside and inside (Ch.6:17), but when God decrees a thing it must come to pass. Read Nehemiah 6.

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Posted by: pastorapbell | March 7, 2011

as we overcome oppression

It is only when God starts to show up that people starts to take notice of you. You were there all the time but as God’s plan begins to take shape in your life those who want you to fail arrive to tell you what you cannot do. Nehemiah was at that place (Ch 4&5), he started the rebuilding process, organised the work into manageable portions and envisioned the workforce to see the finished product. The wall was only build to half height and the schemers started to plot against them. Fortunately for Nehemiah and for us, if God is in the plan then it may be delayed but not thwarted. The enemies will come to discourage you but they will not succeed. Today, they will try everything to get you off track, but take your eyes off the situation and place them on God. Do not focus on the opponents because God will cause them to fight against each other and will give us, who are called and who follow him, great success.  Expect a miracle today! Read 1Chrinicles 20.

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Posted by: pastorapbell | March 6, 2011

as we work under duress, keeping one eye on the prize!

Working towards a goal tends to focus the mind. When we have a word picture of what we are trying to achieve it is more likely that we will achieve it. Nehemiah envisioned the people and reminder them of the splendour of the city of Jerusalem and the powerful presence of God that dwelled there under an open heaven. Like another exile, Ezekiel, Nehemiah wanted the glory of the Lord to return to a place where God had placed his name. Even when the opponents rose up to thwart the restoration process, the mindset of the people of God kept them going. Today the first task of the believe starts in their mind. Once the mind is focused, the building process can be accelerated and the strength of the people allowed to ‘rise’. Nehemiah tells us that the walls were built in quick time because ‘the people had a mind to work’, Nehemiah 4:6b. Get your mindset into building mode! read Nehemiah 4.

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Posted by: pastorapbell | March 5, 2011

as we face up to opposition

Whenever we decide to restore anything there is always opposition. Nehemiah’s passion, enthusiasms and energy was in stark contrast to those who wants the status quo to remain. Once he presented his case to the inhabitants of Jerusalem to provide security and remove the shame that they lived with on a daily basis, the unholy alliance popped up its head. You will never succeed, you are being rebellious; you will never get a bunch of people with their slave mentality to build anything. The conviction in Nehemiah’s heart was that God gave him a vision and he would make available all the provision he required.  He spoke the word of faith to himself and to the unholy trinity; “The God of heaven will give us success.” Today, whatever God has placed in your heart to do, the onus is on him to fulfil it. He will provide the provision even at the eleventh hour. As you start the process of laying the foundations, all the rats will surface and when they do, shine the light on them and light a fire under their tails and watch them run. If God is in a thing then no one can stop it. They can delay it, but they cannot stop it. Our opponents may seem powerful, but remember it is the Lord’s purposes that will be fulfilled, not theirs. Read Nehemiah 3:1-4:3 and meditate on it.

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Posted by: pastorapbell | March 4, 2011

devise a plan, write it down and make it plain today!

It is the Lord purposes that prevail although we may make many plans in our hearts (Proverbs 19:21). Nehemiah had a passion to repair the place where God’s name is lifted up. So much so that his very countenance changed when he heard how bad things were. The king for whom he worked noticed that something was not right with Nehemiah and granted him favour to go and initiate the work. Nehemiah already had a business plan, he had ideas about what to do but he needed resources. We know that the king’s heart is in the hands of God and he directs it wherever he pleases (Proverbs 21:1).  So the king granted him whatever he asked for and he went on his way to fulfil the plans he had dreamt about.  Today, as we make plans and devise schemes, let us remember to ask the king of glory if he will underwrite it. Since it is his purposes that will be established let us keep in step with what he has already planned for us. There is a Niagara of souls being lost every day in our communities, what plans can you implement to address this? I would suggest the following: look around you, what are the walls that need rebuilding? When you see and hear what is going on in our streets, can you stay quiet and do nothing? Let us get our houses in order so that we can help others to build their crumbling walls in their relationships, families and faith.  Remember there will be opposition, but let us say like our brother: “The God of heaven is the one who will give us success, and we his servants are going to start the building process.” Nehemiah 2:20 (Read 2:11-20).

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