Tuesday, June 10

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Nehemiah 1:1-4

The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah:

In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.

They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”

When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.

In 1982 I had the opportunity to travel to China while playing with a Sports Ambassadors basketball team. One of the things we were able to do was visit the Great Wall.

The Great Wall of China is called one of the 7 wonders of the world; and for good reason.

It took over 1000 years to construct; as a long line of regional rulers and powerful emperors sought to protect the northern borders of their kingdoms from enemies. Those individual walls were eventually joined together form one mostly unified wall that stretches well over 5,000 miles.

The wall is between 15 and 50 feet wide; wide enough to drive a car across in some spots. It’s 15 to 30 feet high and includes some 25,000 watchtowers.

Some historians estimate that as many as 2,000,000 people died while working to build the wall.

What is interesting is that while the wall was built for protection, it ultimately failed to provide that protection. Our tour guide told us that when enemies from the north wanted to invade, instead of trying to fight their way over the wall, they just bribed the guards and walked right through the gates.

But the Great Wall did become the symbol of Chinese strength and determination to the rest of the world. The Wall has enormous symbolic value and captures the identity of a people.

In fact, the Chinese student who served as our interpreter whispered to me as we left the wall saying, “For me, as a Chinese man, to see the great wall is like you as a Christian seeing Jesus Christ.”

So Nehemiah is in a position of some importance in the court of King Artaxerxes; and in that position he hears troubling word from Jerusalem.

Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and it’s gates have been burned with fire.

Notice that Nehemiah hears that the people of Jerusalem are in great trouble and disgrace. Why?

To understand this we have to understand the significance of walls in the ancient world.

Like the Great Wall of China the walls of ancient middle eastern cities were both a necessity and were highly symbolic.The larger and stronger the wall the safer the city; and the greater the reputation of the King of that city.

A wall was also a symbol of identity for the people. Ancient people would have thought of their wall kind of like we would think of the Statue of Liberty or the American Flag.

Beyond all that the wall of Jerusalem symbolized presence and promise of God.

Psalm 51:18

In your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem.

Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight you.

So when Nehemiah hears that the walls are still broken down he knows that the people are in “trouble” because they are vulnerable. They are vulnerable to enemies outside the city who would face little resistance if they wanted to attack; and they are vulnerable to those within the city who took advantage of Jerusalem’s weakness.

After the fall of Jerusalem, and then over the next 100 years or so, some of those who returned to the area had gained a certain amount of power and influence.

Men like Sanballat and Tobiah, who we will hear about in a few weeks, had become something like “warlords” or “gang leaders” in the absence of any organized power structure.

So they had a vested interest in keeping Jerusalem weak; because a weak Jerusalem required their protection and in return for their protection came a great deal of power.

Nehemiah also says the people are in “disgrace.” Why disgrace?

The people were in disgrace because a city with no walls was regarded as inferior and weak. This is especially painful for a people who believe God has called them his chosen people and that through them God intends to bless the world. How can this be if they have no wall?

The people are in disgrace because it appears that their God either does not exist; is too weak to protect them; or has simply abandoned them.

They are in disgrace because they have no identity; no protection; no strength and no God to help them.

What about us? Where is our strength; where is our protection?

Our strength is God himself:

The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. (Psalm 46:11)

Our strength is also found in what God is building in his church:

As you come to him, the living Stone - rejected by men, but chosen by God and precious to him - you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Christ Jesus. (1 Peter 2:4-5)

In Nehemiah’s day the people needed a wall to symbolize God’s protection and presence; today we know God’s presence through the Holy Spirit and we are being built into the great wall of the church by Christ himself.

Pastor Brian Coffey

Monday, June 9

To listen to the audio version, click here.

Nehemiah 1:1-4

The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah:

In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.

They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.”

When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.

A few years ago I went back to my hometown of Armonk, N.Y. for my 30th high school reunion.

Can I just say that High School reunions are weird! Weird and wonderful and fun all at the same time!

Since my family had moved away shortly after I graduated I had not seen most of my classmates since the day we graduated. All weekend long I had the strangest impression that I was at some kind of masquerade party with a bunch of high school kids wearing old-people costumes!

Upon seeing an old friend from my childhood my first instinct was to say, “What happened to your face?!” But they were undoubtedly thinking the same thing about me so we all just lied to each other and said, “You’re looking great!”

One of the things I did while I was there was to just drive around my old hometown and visit some of the places that were important in my childhood.

I drove to the home where our family lived; the church where my Dad was pastor and where I was baptized. I drove past the schools I attended; most of them were pretty much like I remembered.

Then I drove to the ball fields where I played Little League baseball. There were 3 or 4 fields where we played and they looked much like I remembered them; except for one.

While the other fields looked like they were still being taken care of and used for youth baseball, this one field was in complete disrepair. The infield had been overtaken by weeds; you could no longer see where the bases had once been. The back stop was broken down and completely covered with vines and ivy.

The sight of it made me sad. This was the field where I once hit a triple with the bases loaded to win a game. This was the field where I had my 12th birthday party with my friends. That was the day my Dad got hit in the eye with a ball and we had to run into town to call Mom. This was our field! This was my childhood!

Now it was just an abandoned, overgrown, useless weed patch. It made me sad to see it my old ball field in such disrepair.

Today we begin to look at an ancient story of another hometown in disrepair. For the next 13 weeks we will be studying the story of Nehemiah in a series called, “Hand Me Another Brick.”

A little historical background to help us understand the story:

The books of Ezra and Nehemiah are two separate books in our Old Testament but originally the comprised just one book. They cover a period of about one hundred years; roughly the 6th century BC, some 2600 years ago.

This period in Israel’s history is called the Babylonian Exile and all kinds of significant stories take place during this time.

In about 605 BC Nebuchadnezzar becomes King of Babylon and begins to expand his power. In about 586 BC he besieges Jerusalem, destroys the city, loots and burns the great Temple of Solomon, and carries off thousands of Jews into captivity.

During this period we see the stories of Daniel and his three friends; we read in the book of Daniel of the fiery furnace and the lion’s den.

Some 70 years later the Persians under Cyrus the Great conquer Babylon; but Cyrus is sympathetic to the Jews and allows Zerubbabel to return to Jerusalem with thousand of Jewish families to rebuild the Temple of Solomon (the story is told in Ezra 1-6; this is also about the time we see the story of Esther).

Some time after that Ezra is allowed to return to Jerusalem with the purpose of bringing God’s law back to the people living in Jerusalem but he is not permitted to rebuild the walls (story is told in Ezra 7-10).

Just 10 years later or so we see the story of Nehemiah.

Nehemiah is a Jewish man born in exile. He has never seen Jerusalem; but like Joseph and Daniel before him rises to an influential position in a foreign land. In Nehemiah’s case he achieves the highly privileged position of “cupbearer” to King Artaxerxes of Persia.

All this background is significant because in many ways Nehemiah was the last person you would expect to play a role in God’s plan to bring salvation to the world.

But, as we will see, Nehemiah is exactly where God wants him; and Nehemiah does exactly what God wants him to do.

As we begin our journey through this ancient story God is reminding us that, like Nehemiah, our stories are part of his great story. No matter how small or insignificant we might feel; no matter how far we are from where we might want to be; God knows where we are and has something in mind for us to do for his purposes.

Pastor Brian Coffey 

Friday, June 6

Friday

We have been talking all week about the importance of Spiritual Gifts.  We have said that spiritual gifts are the abilities that God gives to every believer for the purpose of serving others and glorifying Christ.  But we haven’t talked much about what the specific gifts are that God gives.  Now before we get into this topic, I have to give you an important caution.  The New Testament gives us several suggestive lists of the different kinds of gifts, but we are not given one definitive or exhaustive list of all of the gifts. 

The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.  Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?  Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But eagerly desire the greater gifts.  – 1 Corinthians 12:12-30 (selected)

As we look briefly at some of the individual gifts mentioned here, pay careful attention to those gifts that seem to resonate best with how God has designed you.

Faith: the ability to confidently believe God for changes and spiritual growth that will enhance the purposes of God. A person with this gift is quick to believe God for things they may never see.

Distinguishing of spirits: Sometimes called discernment, this is the ability to know when truth or error is being spoken and whether a prophet is a true or false one.

Apostles: As a spiritual gift, this is the ability to begin and/or to oversee new churches and Christian ministries with a spontaneously recognized authority.

Prophecy: The ability to receive and proclaim a message from God, simply put ,prophecy is giving a declaration of God’s will to God’s people.  This gift provides a word from God to a specific group, not the normative Word of God to all believers.

Teaching: The ability to clearly explain and effectively apply the truths of God’s Word so that others will learn. This requires the capacity to accurately interpret Scripture, engage in necessary research, and organize the results in a way that is easily communicated.

Miracles: The ability to serve as an instrument through whom God accomplishes acts that manifest supernatural power. Miracles bear witness to the presence of God and the truth of His proclaimed Word, and appear to occur most frequently in association with missionary activity.

Gifts of healings: The ability to serve as a human instrument through whom God supernaturally cures illnesses and restores health. The possessor of this gift is not the source of power, but a vessel who can only heal those diseases the Lord chooses to heal. Inner healing, or healing of past emotional wounds is sometimes associated as another manifestation of this gift.

Gifts of helps: The ability to enhance the effectiveness of the ministry of other members of the body. This is the only usage of this word in the New Testament, and it appears to be distinct from the gift of service. Some suggest that while the gift of service is more group-oriented, the gift of helps is more person-oriented.

Gifts of administration: This word, like helps, appears only one time in the New Testament, and it is used outside of Scripture of a helmsman who steers a ship to its destination. This suggests that the spiritual gift of administration is the ability to steer a group of people toward the fulfillment of their goals. A person may have the gift of leadership without the gift of administration.

Various kinds of tongues: The ability to receive and impart a spiritual message in a language the recipient never learned.  It is worth noting that the gift of tongues is last in Paul’s list. This is true whenever Paul mentions tongues in 1 Corinthians. One thing we should acknowledge is that Paul considered “tongues” to be a part of worship; however, he did not expect that everyone would have the gift of tongues.  The interpretation of tongues: the ability to interpret tongues.

With all of these gifts in mind (and of course there are many others) I want you to imagine a large puzzle, say, one with about 500 pieces that we are going to attempt to put together. As with every challenging jigsaw puzzle, each piece is different in shape and often in color. Every piece is needed in order to finish the puzzle, and there are no extra pieces. If we weren’t certain of that we wouldn’t even start the puzzle. Who needs that level of frustration? Each piece, of course, fits in only one place. If we try to force it into a place where it doesn’t fit, the corners get bent and then another piece is prevented from taking its rightful spot.

Our church is very much like this jigsaw puzzle. There are over 2,000 individuals who call FBCG their church home. Each one has unique talents, abilities, and spiritual gifts.  Every one of us is vital to the big picture, to the proper functioning of this church—there are no spares or extras.  This means we all need to discover our spiritual gift and serve in the most fruitful way possible. Everybody is somebody because we’re in this together.

Jeff Frazier

Thursday, June 5

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Charles Burnham "Bud" Wilkinson was an American Football player, coach, broadcaster, and politician. He won three national championships and 14 conference titles as the head football coach for the University of Oklahoma in the 1950s.  After coaching Bud served as the chairman of the President’s Council for physical fitness during the Johnson administration. Someone once asked Wilkinson what role professional football had played in America’s physical fitness.  Wilkinson responded with these words, “Absolutely none. In football you have 22 players on the field desperately in need of rest being cheered on by 50,000 spectators in the stands desperately in need of exercise!”  Unfortunately, the same dynamic is true in many local churches. Too many Christians view the church this way, the members see the pastoral staff as the “players” in ministry but view themselves as merely spectators. If the church is doing well, the members cheer. If the church begins to decline, the cheers quickly turn to jeers. That may make for exciting football, but it is a lousy way to run a church. Paul says God’s pattern for the church is that every member be involved in ministry.

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.  – 1 Corinthians 12:7-11

Let me give you three things that this passage tells us you must do in regards to your spiritual gift.  First, you must discover what spiritual gift or gifts the Holy Spirit has given you. The Greek word for “gift” is charisma, from which we get our English words charisma and charismatic.  The charis part of the word means “grace.” The ma portion of the word is a suffix meaning a grace that it is given. They are “grace gifts” that enable a person to glorify and serve God. These grace gifts are not earned; they are not the result of hard work; they are not even ones we choose for ourselves. And they may, or may not, be related to our natural skill set.  Remember, God has not gifted you to do what you think you should do; He has gifted you to do what He wants you to do.  The grace gift(s) that God has chosen in His sovereignty to grant you are expressions of His love.  In the exercise of your spiritual gift from God you will find fulfillment.

Second, you must plug into ministry and get busy serving somewhere.  Jesus died to give you the gift (charisma) of eternal life, but He also died so that you could serve Him with your spiritual gift (charisma).  When you and I fail to do this, we fail to carry out one of the purposes in His death.  God has given you a spiritual gift to benefit others around you.  That is why it is really a tragedy if you don’t know what your spiritual gift is, if you’re not in the process of finding out what it is, or if you’re not using your gift for the body. 

Third, you must depend upon God for the results.  The Holy Spirit is responsible for the results.  That means that we don’t produce anything, we can only use our gifts and trust the rest to God.  It takes a great weight off of us when we are trying to serve the Lord in ministry.  What we are called to do is to be faithful in exercising our gifts in the places where Christ directs us. Then God takes full responsibility for the eternal impact.  So let’s get out of the stands, stop being spectators and start playing our part for God’s team!

Jeff Frazier

Wednesday, June 4

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Did you ever play the game “Truth or Dare” when you were a kid?  You know, the game where somebody asks you a question and you can either answer truthfully, or if you don’t want to answer, you can take an unknown dare instead.  Were you the kind of kid that was more likely to share the truth or take the dare?  If you say that it depends on what the dare is, then you’re probably not really the daring type.

At the risk of stretching this little analogy too far, Sometimes I think God’s word is a kind of “Truth and Dare” game; God gives us His truth and (in a sense) dares us to believe it.  God puts the question to us – are you willing to trust what my Word says?  Are you willing to believe that I am in control?  Are you daring enough to surrender your life to me?

Consider these words from the Apostle Paul…
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.  There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.  There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.  Now to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.  - 1 Corinthians 12:4-7

Do you see that?  You are gifted by God!  Paul clearly states that “to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given”.  To who?  To each one.  To everyone who trusts Jesus Christ.  It’s true, do you dare to believe it?  You are gifted!

Spiritual Gifts are simply abilities that God gives to every believer for the purpose of serving others in the Body of Christ.  You might not think of yourself as a gifted person, you might struggle with self-doubt and low self-esteem.  No matter how you feel, from God’s point of view you are gifted!  Regardless of how you view yourself, God’s word declares that if you belong to Christ, then you have been gifted by God to be used by the Holy Spirit in service to others.  

In a way, God “Double Dares” us; He dares us first to believe that we are gifted, and second He dares us to use our gifts.

Which of these truths (and/or dares) are most difficult for you?

Do you struggle to believe that you actually have gifts, which God can use?

Do you struggle to take action and put your gifts into use for God?

Have you ever stopped to consider how it might feel to God for you not to believe that He has uniquely gifted you, or how it might feel to Him for you to refuse to put the gifts He gave you into action?

Spend a few minutes in prayer…

Praising God that He has uniquely gifted you to make a difference in the world for His glory!

Asking God to forgive you for either failing to believe or failing to use the gifts He has given you.  

Resolving to discover what gifts God has given you, and to use them in service to others and for Christ!

Jeff Frazier

Tuesday, June 3

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Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant.  You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols.  Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.   – 1 Corinthians 12:1-3

Why would Paul begin this part of his letter by saying that he doesn’t want the Corinthian Christians to be ignorant about spiritual gifts?  Apparently they were ignorant, or at least there was some confusion about this issue.  In fact, many NT scholars think that Paul is probably responding to some specific questions of the Corinthian church about spiritual gifts.  While we don’t know the exact questions, we do know that the Corinthian Christians were exceptionally gifted (1 Cor. 1:5-7) and yet at the same time one of the most divided and carnal churches in the New Testament.  So, it may have been that they were confusing particular spiritual gifts as a sign of their spiritual superiority.  Whatever the case, Paul says, “Hey look, you are not getting this, so let me make it clear to you.”

There are two other places where Paul uses similar language about things he does not want Christians to be ignorant of.  In the book of Romans, he says don't be ignorant of God's plan for Israel (Romans 11:25).  In 1 Thessalonians, Paul says not to be ignorant about the second coming of Jesus (1 Thess. 4:13).  

Ironically, many Christians are still confused and ignorant on these exact points today!  Let’s face it, there are many things that we are ignorant about when it comes to God.  Some things we simply cannot know or understand on this side of eternity because our finite minds are limited.  However, just because we cannot know everything, does not mean that we cannot know anything!  This is why Paul says that he does not want us to be ignorant, he wants us to be clear about those things which God has made clear.  It is all too easy for us to bring our materialistic and/or superstitious views into our understanding of spiritual truth.  I have known many people who become Christians and attempt to import some of their old beliefs or ways of thinking into their understanding of the Gospel.  This is very dangerous, because it can slowly and subtly lead us further and further away from the center of Biblical truth.  This is why Paul reminds the Corinthians about their pagan past.  He says they were “led astray”, in other words, they cannot understand spiritual gifts on their own.  

This might sound kind of obvious or simple, but we cannot understand the things of the Spirit without the Spirit. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.  – 1 Corinthians 2:14

At the end of this passage, Paul gives us the key to discerning true spiritual gifts.
Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.    - 1 Corinthians 12:3  

Paul lays down for us a broad principle for discerning matters regarding spiritual gifts: judge things by how they relate to Jesus Christ.  Does a supposed spiritual gift glorify Jesus?  This is the ultimate test.  Does it bring attention to Jesus or to man?  Does it promote the true Jesus, or a false one?  

Jesus made it plain, saying that when the Holy Spirit would come, He will testify of Me (John 15:26), and He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and make it known to you (John 16:14).  The ministry of the Holy Spirit is not to promote Himself or any man, but to glorify and represent Jesus.  

Jeff Frazier

Monday, June 2

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There is a historical legend about the generosity of Alexander the Great.  Apparently Alexander put forth the promise that once a year at a great feast, the members of his court could make any request of him, and as long as it was in his power to grant the request, he would not refuse them.  However, because Alexander was known to be capricious at times and unpredictable in his moods, no court member ever asked for anything too extravagant.  One year at the time of the great feast, a lowly court advisor who was in desperate financial trouble and unable to provide for his family, came to ask the great king for nearly $500,000 worth of money and aid.  The court treasurer tried to dissuade the young man saying that he might lose his head for asking for such an outrageous sum.  But Alexander heard of this man’s request and demanded that he come forward.  To the surprise of everyone, Alexander granted the man’s request and even gave the man a higher position in his court!  Alexander is reported to have said, “This man knows how to ask a gift of a king!  The largeness of his request shows that he believes me to have both the means and the will to grant it.” 

What if I told you that you could ask God for one thing and He would not refuse you – what would you ask Him for?  Perhaps like King Solomon in the Old Testament, you would ask God for wisdom.  Maybe you would ask Him for courage, or faith, or peace, or protection.  

Do you realize that God has already given you the greatest gift He can possibly give?  Listen to the words of the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians… Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.  – 2 Corinthians 1:21-22

In the book of Numbers, Moses is frustrated with the way the Israelites are resisting him and their God.  At one point, some of the other leaders of Israel temporarily experience the Spirit in their lives and Moses cries out to God wishing that God’s Spirit would rest on all God’s people (Num. 11:29).  Later on in the Old Testament, the prophet Joel predicts that there will come a day when God will pour out His Spirit on all people (Joel 2:28).  In the New Testament book of Acts, Peter declares that what Moses wished for, and what Joel predicted, has finally come true!  We have all been given the gift of the Holy Spirit!

The Holy Spirit is a guarantee from God that He is with us and that our future is completely secure with Him.  The Holy Spirit is the greatest gift God can give us, because by giving the Holy Spirit, He is giving us Himself!  Every other gift that God gives to His children, He gives through His Holy Spirit.  Do you want peace in the midst of some trial?  God gives that through the presence of His Spirit.  Do you want faith and courage to face the future?  God gives that through His Spirit.  Do you want direction or guidance for some decision you are facing?  God gives that through His Spirit.  

Now, If the Holy Spirit is the greatest gift that God can give, then He is the greatest gift that we can possibly ask for as well.  Ah but, and this is the really good news, God has already given us the Holy Spirit the moment we place our trust in Christ.  In other words, the best thing you can possibly ask God for, He has already given to you!  Do you believe that?  Do live as if that is true?  I don’t know about you, but too often I am concerned about all of the things I don’t have and all of the things I wish that God would give me or do for me.  I don’t always see that He has already given me Himself when He gave me His Holy Spirit.  What more can I ask for?  What more do I want?  What more do I really need?  

Jeff Frazier