One final word on Nehemiah

I finished Nehemiah last night and found a couple more reasons to like the guy. After the walls of Jerusalem were completed, he saw that the law regarding the sabbath was not being obeyed, and vendors were working and selling on the sabbath. So he ordered the gates to be closed, and the vendors then set up outside the gates. Uh uh, no you didn't. In 13:21 we see Nehemiah's response to this:

But I warned them and said to them, "Why do you lodge outside the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you." From that time on they did not come on the Sabbath.

Nice. Very diplomatic with "I will lay hands on you." Then we see the law forbidding Jews to intermarry being flouted, and things get really nasty in 13:25:

And I confronted them and cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair. And I made them take oath in the name of God, saying, "You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.

Do not make Nehemiah angry. You won't like him when he's angry.

My Pastor had me fooled

My Pastor, Dale Brooks, experienced a personal tragedy this past April in the passing of his wife Leigh Anne. While I did not know her well I know that she was full of love and the joy of Jesus, and her death had an enormous impact on a large number of lives.

Pastor Dale did not preach the next Sunday; I'm sure that nobody expected him to. But he was back the week after, and I was sure he was just putting on a front so everyone would think he was OK. But week after week he continued to preach powerfully, and over time I became convinced that maybe he really was OK.

How was this possible? How could he just get back to work like that under these circumstances? How could he be such a rock? How can I be just like him if something like this happens to me? What am I missing in my relationship with God that I can't even conceive of reacting this way?

Turns out, my first impression way back was right. Fortunately for me, Avalon Church, and most importantly Pastor Dale, the church elders saw through this and perceived he was not dealing with Leigh Anne like he needed to. Accordingly, they have told him to take the month of July off to grieve and spend quality time with Jesus. Pastor Dale admitted today that this is the best thing, that he had wanted everyone to think he was OK when he really wasn't. We all indicated our love and support for him, and everybody cried. I mean EVERYBODY.

This isn't any kind of warning or probation that reflects on his performance; on the contrary the elders took this action to ensure Pastor Dale is around as long as possible. I'm thankful to God today that the elders had the discernment to recognize the hurt beneath the smile, and the courage to take this action before it had the chance to turn into something else.

Enjoy your time, Pastor Dale. Just no more pretending when you come back, OK?

Nehemiah, ancient superhero

In reading the story of Nehemiah rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem I was impressed by the way he always stood firm and unwavering in the face of opposition. Through ridicule, false charges, the threat of attack, he just kept working on the walls. My favorite part was in chapter 6, when death threats were made against him and Shemaiah asked him to hide in the temple. His answer in verse 11:

But I said, "Should such a man as I run away? And what man such as I could go into the temple and live? I will not go in."

Turns out Shemaiah was working for the bad guys and trying to lure him into a trap. Well played, Nehemiah. I think this verse also has a great modern context as we hear stories of terrorists hiding in mosques because the military won't blow them up. Perhaps if this were posted on the door of all those mosques our war on terror would have turned out differently.

Am I confusing you?

I realize that some of you reading this may not be part of the "family" and I may be using too much insider language in the posts. So, in an attempt to remedy that, let me make you an offer.

Is there anything you're wondering about? Do you want to know what I believe, or why I believe it, or what in the world I was thinking when I posted something? Drop a comment, shoot me an email (mattowenfl@gmail.com), or find me on Facebook using the link on the right.

Just like Weight Watchers, this is a judgment free zone. There are no stupid questions. Let 'em rip.

A great and glorious phrase

I was having a conversation about biblical history the other day, why the books are in the order they are in, etc., and the conversation turned to the dates the Old Testament books were written. Eventually, I ended up explaining the difference between B.C. and A.D. and how 1450 B.C. came before 1410 B.C. using the concept of a number line, and negative and positive numbers. But in explaining where the change from "negative" to "positive" occurred I used this analogy:

"Jesus is the hinge on which all of human history turns."

I never thought I'd be able to use that phrase in a conversation. I almost cried at having a legitimate opportunity to finally say it. Thank you Jesus!

Pastor's business card

Got this one from Mom via email.

A new pastor was visiting in the homes of his parishioners. At one house it seemed obvious that someone was at home, but no answer came to his repeated knocks at the door.

Therefore, he took out his business card and wrote "Revelation 3:20" on the back of it and stuck it in the door.

When the offering was processed the following Sunday, he found that his card had been returned. Added to it was this cryptic message, "Genesis 3:10."

Reaching for his Bible to check out the citation, he broke up in gales of laughter. Revelation 3:20 begins "Behold, I stand at the door and knock." Genesis 3:10 reads, "I heard your voice in the garden and I was afraid for I was naked."

Remember when the funniest jokes were the clean ones?

They still are!

The payoff. The big, fat payoff.

My mother is having surgery next month and on the phone tonight she expressed some growing concern over the situation. I pointed her to Joshua 1, which contains several instances of God telling us not to be afraid, and contains this absolute gem in verse 9:

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.

Thank you Father! Thank you Jesus! If I hadn't been reading on my own, if the only time my Bible ever got touched was carrying it to and from church on Sunday, I would never have been able to offer this encouragement to her. As Charles Stanley has said, "If you want to get something out of the Bible on Sunday, read it on Saturday. And Friday. And..."

Claim the promises of the Bible. Make them your own, because they are yours. But before you can claim them you must find them! So what are you doing here? Open your Bible, then come back and let me know what you found in the comments.