“Shaking Out the Strife”

 Scripture:   Nehemiah 5:1-13

The worse threats and attacks that will ever come against either a nation or a Church will be from inside the organization.  The people who are working to defeat all that the group, as a whole, has always stood for, certainly have a right to express their differences of opinion, but not as an attack on the rights of others.  We see this currently happening in both our country and the Church, and no matter how strong a stand the traditional side of the issues take, the opposition will use every tactic that they can think of to advance their agenda.

 In the passages that we will be considering today, we see a similar situation at work against the people of Israel.  However, in their case, it was the elitists who were taking advantage of those who were less able to stand up for themselves.  Israel had enough problems coming at them from the occupational authorities of Persia, and additional internal conflict had become nearly unbearable.

 What can possibly be done to bring the situation back into a sense of respect and moral consideration toward each other?   We shall see.

 Read Nehemiah 5:1-5

 “the men and their wives raised … an outcry against their Jewish” neighbors.  What might have been causing such a great controversy within a nation that was focused so mightily on rebuilding their temple and their city?  It was bad enough that the Persian authorities were demanding a crippling tax on the land, and as the people were straining to meet those demands, they also had to provide the necessities for their families.

 There were 3 reasons that folks were struggling just to make ends meet. 

First, with so many men at work repairing the wall, while at the same time striving to maintain security in the event of attack, the women who remained at home were burdened with all of the work that their men had once been responsible for.  They worked in the fields, they maintained their homes, and still had their own work in caring for the family.  And to make matters even worse, there was the issue of occupational taxes that had to be paid.  Many families had to loan out their sons and daughters to work for others, if they were ever going to be able to obtain enough food in addition to the taxes.  How were they to care for it all?

 The second group were in the same brutal crush that the first group was in, so they had to take out mortgages from their fellow Jews, with the guarantee of repayment being their fields and homes.  And to compound the problem, they were experiencing a famine which made the issue even worse!  When repayment failed, the loss of home and property was nearly a death blow for the people.  And they would never be able to buy those possessions back.  Life had nearly come to a dead end!

 The third group was in an even worse situation.  Not only did they lose their fields and homes, but the provisions of the loans could also have included slavery for the younger boys and girls.  Verse 5 alludes to a practice that was even more despicable – some of their daughters had already been enslaved to be “farmed” out for unmentionable purposes.

 The people who found themselves in such dire conditions were helpless to do anything about it.  We can only imagine the painful prayers that were offered up to their Lord God Jehovah, seeking His intervention and relief from the injustices – not only those imposed by their captors, but those that came from their own country men, and in some instances, by their own relatives!

 Was there any hope whatsoever?

 Read Nehemiah 5:6-11

 Several times in this passage, we see the term “usury” being used.  This may be an unfamiliar word for most of us, so here is what it implies.  At its most basic meaning, it is excessive interest that is charged on a loan.  But Webster offers an even more graphic description: it is “an unconscionable or exorbitant rate or amount of interest; specifically interest in excess of a legal rate charged to a borrower for the use of money”.

 Usury is not only immoral, but scripture has something to say about the act, too.  In

Exodus 22:25-27 – “²⁵ If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not treat it like a business deal; charge no interest. ²⁶ If you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, return it by sunset, ²⁷ because that cloak is the only covering your neighbor has. What else can they sleep in? When they cry out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.”

 In addition, in Exodus 21:2, we read “² If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything.”

 In other words, not only shouldn’t the lender charge interest, or require a loan default that will result in a significant challenge to their well-being, but after 6 years of servitude, the person must be released from all obligations, including repayment of the loan!

 The elite of Israel were creating benefits for themselves to both the detriment of their families and countrymen, as well as in defiance of God’s will and word.  So Nehemiah takes control of the entire situation, and accuses them of 1) usury, 2) conspiring with the occupational authorities to line the pockets of both of them, and 3), especially in the sins that they were committing against their God!  And there was nothing that they could say in defense of their actions!

 It makes you wonder, that if these wealthy Jews were being allowed to carry on in this way by their Persian masters, what else were they doing on behalf of the occupation?

 Read Nehemiah 5:12-13

 They accepted Nehemiah’s demand that all interest and defaults be returned to their rightful owners, and to pledge that they would never require anything else from the people, regardless of what may have been agreed upon.

 Nehemiah then commissions the priests to monitor their transactions to ensure that they never go back on their promise, and he makes a gesture that had great significance to these men.  He “shakes out the folds of his robe”, indicating that he will hold nothing back in expectation of their keeping their covenant, and he says that he believes that the Lord will be doing the same.

 What does this say about the importance of the promises just made?  And what does it say about the oaths that pastors of today make at their ordination, or people at their acceptance as members of the church?  Nehemiah tells us that when we lie to God, that He will shake out any who go against His words, and they will be “emptied”.  In other words, they will no longer be one of His people!

 So consider this in light of the condition that the UMC finds itself in today.  Not only are the elites and leaders of the church in much the same condition that Israel’s influential people found themselves to be in, but their “usury” of the people continue to degrade the witness that the Church presents to the world.  Denial of God’s word, uncharitable acts toward those who hold to traditional Christian values and truths, and promises that there will be even greater changes to the polity of United Methodism – it all speaks loudly and disgracefully in an unGodly manner.

 The poor of Israel had no recourse to the evil that the money lenders were showing toward them, but many of the faithful of today do.  We now have the opportunity to find our way into a true and fresh way of serving, living, and loving in the way of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Unfortunately, some are still being denied the right to move to this new way, but I believe that God will, very soon, be “shaking out” those who are blocking His faithful from serving Him in Truth.

 May the worldly people of the Church find their way into claiming the truth of God for both their life and their worship, and may they find it sooner than later. 

 May the Lord be praised!

“Standing Strong in Faith”

 Scripture:   Ezra4:1-5;  Nehemiah 4:1-6;  Nehemiah 4:13-18

Since the beginning of time, the world has been opposed to the truth of God.  In some ways, it has been organized and deceitful, while in other ways, it was personal and direct.  But regardless of the style, it was, nearly every time, hateful, vicious, and oppressive.  And within it all, I have never been able to come up with a reasonable excuse for all of the opposition to God’s ways, other than it's being human arrogance and self-aggrandizement, both of which are sins.

Satan will use anyone who will submit to his lies about the Lord.  Hatred is a powerful emotion, and the devil is an expert when it comes to using any means at his disposal to attack our faith and trust in God.  We are, as you all know, a weak and easily deceived creation.  In Genesis 4:3-8, we read of the downfall of Cain through the murder of his brother Abel.  Cain had given an offering of some fruit to God, while Abel had given a lamb who had been first born, as well as an offering of fattening.  Cain’s gift was rather ordinary and routine, while Abel’s was the best that he could possibly give.

 The Lord’s response to Cain’s poor offering lacked respect, just as the man’s gift was toward Him.  But Abel’s best offering was one which gave honor to God.  The Lord saw that Cain was angry at his brother because the Creator’s reaction was so different toward them both, so God told him “⁷ If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” 

 Our response when anger and hatred begin to rise up in our life should be through control of our emotions, but all too often, we accept them as justification for some perceived wrong that has been committed against us!  In today’s passages, we see two responses to that very thing.  The occupiers of Judah are angry that the Jews are rebuilding both the temple and the walls of the city, and they decide to try Satan’s ways to stop God’s people.

 Read Ezra 4:1-5

 Ezra had led his contingent of exiles back to Jerusalem a number of years before Nehemiah did, but as we are about to see, there is practically no time constraint when it comes to responding to the wrongs that we believe that others have done against us!  The rebuilding of the temple is well underway, and opposition is rapidly building against the project.

The first tactic that is attempted is to convince the Jews that others want to help them in the construction.  The opposition tries to show them that they are sympathetic to their cause and faith, but the Jewish leadership won’t fall for the lies.  The people who were trying to worm their way into the project may very well have been other conquered people who had been displaced from their homes to this new land, and they may have been concerned that the Jewish exiles were trying to reestablish their own authority and control, which might not have gone all that well for the others.

Fear of loss in respect, prestige, or worth is a powerful motivator!  So why wouldn’t the Jews allow others to help in the rebuilding?  The primary objection was, in my understanding, through their belief that if pagan hands were involved in the carrying and placing of the stones, that the temple could never be blessed as holy ground by their Jehovah God.

This is similar to the situation that Cain had created with his less than “Best Offering” to God, and those “other” people, in their sense of loss of respect, decided to bring the entire project to a halt, which, of course, they never did.  But their hatred for the returning exiles grew and thrived, and improvement in their relationship became impossible for either party to ever establish again.

 Read Nehemiah 4:1-6

Here it is, years later, and the reconstruction of the wall around Jerusalem is progressing at an incredible rate!  As we discovered last week, there were hundreds of people at work, representing skilled trades, clergy, regional administrators, everyday workmen, and even women.  Eventually, the wall would be completed in about 4.5 years, even with all of the adversity that worked to slow them down.

During the work on the temple, we saw that it was probably other displaced people who opposed the reconstruction, but now it appears to be local occupational administrators who caused all of the problems.  And what was their delaying tactic?  Ridicule of the Jews, and demeaning humor of the efforts, to stir up the allies and occupational personnel. 

The comments that were directed at the work were all based in slurs and other insinuations, intended to discourage the workers, and to encourage the occupiers.  But how effective were these efforts to discourage the Jews?  Very little, it seems – we read that the work continued unabated, until the wall was half completed.  What was there that inspired the people, even as the taunts and insults continued to fly, with the intention of discouraging and dampening their desires to restore security for the city?

We need to remember that people of faith have one great means of hope and support at their disposal - and that is the power of prayer.  When God’s faithful acknowledge the grace and compassion that is constantly flowing from the Lord’s heart, to sustain and encourage all in the tasks that our Lord God Almighty has already begun within us, we will never have to believe that the mission at hand might fail!  And neither did the Lord’s people in Jerusalem, for we read that “the people worked with all their heart.”  Satan never stands a chance of succeeding, when God fills his people’s hearts with hope!

 Read Nehemiah 4:13-18

Discouragers came with warnings, exhaustion wreaked havoc on their bodies, and Satan worked to fill the people with doubt.  But Judah’s leaders took steps to prepare the people for whatever might come against them.  Even while Nehemiah armed the workers to repel any attack that might come, he also encouraged them to remember that their God was with them, and that He would strengthen their arms for the work, and grant them courage to defeat their enemies.  And when the Lord is on our side, He will see to the victory.

Consider the hope that verse 15 contains.  “¹⁵ When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to our own work.” 

 For the people of Judah knew that their Jehovah God had been preparing the way for the restoration of His city Jerusalem, since the day Nehemiah prayed, seeking an answer to the concerns he was hearing about Jerusalem. (Nehemiah 1:4-11)  The Persian king, by the power of God, granted the request, along with the resources to complete the task before them.  If God had brought them this far, why would He ever allow them to fail in the work He had set out before His people?

The Lord could certainly accomplish all of the tasks that He asks of us, and yet, He always involves His people and His Church.  Whether in ministry, or mission, or outreach, or any other effort that He desires to be accomplished, He welcomes His faithful to be involved, working alongside of Him, watching what He does with and through us.  It isn’t just that we are enabled to do the things that He asks of us, but that, for some reason, God wants to involve us in His work.

So what part are we to play in God’s work?  Sometimes, it is a physical effort, sometimes we become intimately involved in the task, and other times, we simply proclaim just who it is that is doing the healing, or accomplishing the blessing.  But each and every time, we must be aware of just what we are to do, and to never impose more of ourselves into the work than is requested.

May the Lord be praised in all that we are invited to do in His holy name!

“Who Claims a Share?”

 Scripture:  Nehemiah3:1-2; Nehemiah 3:8-10, 31-32; Nehemiah 3:11-12

For the past few years, we have been barraged with calls to “unity” in the Church.  While this is truly commendable, I’ve never actually heard a good, scriptural definition being offered from those who seem to proclaim this need the loudest!  So I might offer up a few thoughts on what unity should mean to a Christian.

 First, in John Wesley’s pamphlet “The Character of a Methodist”, he wrote “Let us strive together for the faith of the gospel; walking worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called; with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love, and endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit, in the bond of peace …”.  Wesley believed that unity is established through the faith that is proclaimed in the gospels, and second, that unity only exists through the working of the Holy Spirit.

 Second,  in Matthew 18:20, Jesus tells us that “²⁰ For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”  It appears that gathering in the name of Jesus, with all of the ramifications that the phrase “in His name” signifies, it is in that way that Jesus becomes part of our efforts.  And conversely, if our efforts are not based in the name and way of Jesus Christ, what do you suppose that would imply?

 It would seem that Christian unity is secure when we are together in the Name of Jesus and striving to follow in the way of the Holy Spirit!  But how far can “unity” actually go in the Name of Jesus?  In Galatians3: 27-28, Paul writes that “²⁷ For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. ²⁸ There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.“  Again, when we are one with Christ, regardless of who we are, without exclusion, there must be true unity among us.  And when we are living and serving without “the name of Jesus” on our lips and within our hearts, unity can only be a word, and can never be a way.

 Today, we will consider the “unity” that occurred during the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, by those who had returned from Babylon for that express purpose.

 Read Nehemiah 3:1-2

 This chapter begins to list the many hands who contributed to the rebuilding of the gates and walls of Jerusalem.  And who are the ones mentioned first?  The priests!  The house of Levi, who were only expected to serve in the temple.  No other responsibilities were placed on this tribe, and as a matter of fact, the other 11 tribes were expected to provide for this priestly tribe – for their food, shelter, materials for clothing, and whatever else was needed by them and their families.  They had no other job demands, other than service to their Jehovah God!  (Numbers 1:47-55)

 And yet, we discover that the priestly class accepted their place as common workers for the glory of God and the security of the city.  Nehemiah probably assigned them to a section of the wall, but it’s hard to imagine that they accepted the work without their own personal desire to contribute in any way that they possibly could – we even read that the High Priest Eliashib contributed.  We don’t read that he supervised, or that he oversaw the work, or that he was simply present while the others did the work – he and the other priests “worked” together to rebuild a gate, as well as a section of the wall all the way to the next watch tower.

 Imagine the reaction that the others had to seeing their priests at work, right along side every other person on the wall.  Never seeking privilege, never demanding exemption, but contributing to the greater good of the rebuilding.  The Lord God Jehovah never said that they couldn’t do manual labor, just that they didn’t have to!  And to their credit, I fully expect that they not only worked on the gate and wall, but that they also cared for their priestly responsibilities as well.

 What a great example of staying in unity with all of the people of Israel! 

 Read Nehemiah 3:8-10,31-32

 Now we see that even businessmen, who were used to having special responsibilities, and most likely, were held in high regard by all of the other folks, were dirtying their hands to help carry out the Lord’s desire for the city.  Goldsmiths and perfumers were not a run of the mill profession, but, at least in former days, when Jerusalem was a thriving city, these artisans were in high demand for their skills, and could command a substantial price for their service.  And here we see them working alongside the common labors from exile, and possibly even those who had been left behind to serve the governors and other occupying forces while the rest of Israel’s elite and educated, were taken into captivity by the Babylonians. 

 We can be very certain that chapter 3’s listing of workers was far from complete, so other “professionals”, if you will, were also giving their time and efforts on the walls of the city.  Were there merchants who dealt in colored fabrics?  Or former servants, dancers and musicians to royalty?  And what about temple musicians – were they also working with their gifted hands and fingers?

 And not only these, but the equivalent of today’s politicians were also hard at work.  Could any of us expect that the elected officials that we are familiar with would actually pick up a hammer or other tools, or carry heavy blocks of stone, for other than the usual photo opt that many are well known for?

 So far, it appears that the workers who took on the chore of labor, not just for their own good, but for the good of the city and nation, were those who may have never worked that hard in their lives!  And yet, here they are.

 The concept of “unity” and cooperation continues to grow ever larger through reports of those who were working.

 Read Nehemiah 3:11-12

 Here we have another civic leader who worked to rebuild the city walls, but the interesting thing about this family was that the man’s daughters were also on the wall, working right along side the men.  The mix of backgrounds would probably be much greater than what we find in Chapter 3, and there isn’t even a single suggestion that conflict had raised its ugly head, or that there was jealousy over who had more help or who received the prime assignments, or disagreement over who had skilled workers versus all unskilled ones, or any other issue that would cause delays in the building or of improper construction that required the stone to be re-laid.

 Everyone who was there had one vision in mind – to rebuild the walls and gates, and even homes of their city – even those who had been born in captivity and had never seen the former grandeur of Jerusalem.  It was all about the Lord God Jehovah’s call on the people to rebuild.  Priests, servants, artisans, those who once had been wealthy, those who had never even known sufficiency in their lives, musicians, singers, common every day farmers, slaves, men and women – just about anyone you could imagine took their place on the wall to restore security to the city.

 Does it sound like cooperation and unity at their finest?  Wouldn’t the church, as well as our nation, be a grand place if we set our own desires and needs aside in favor of a common effort to give God the honor and glory for whatever we are involved in? 

 As our church moves forward during the next few years, may we all be focused on what the Lord Jesus Christ desires of us, and not on what our own plans and agendas may look like.  

May our precious God and Savior be praised in all that we do in Him.

“Be In God’s Plan, or Be Out Of It!”

 Scripture:   Ezra 4:1-5, Nehemiah 2:11-20, 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 

Living and serving in God’s will and way is a constant struggle for many people.  Either they don’t quite understand what the Lord desires of them, or they don’t know how to even begin discerning the Lord’s desires for their lives, or for some, they just don’t care!  The truth is that scripture should always be able to put us on the right track toward faithful obedience, IF, that is, we read it and study it honestly.

 But unfortunately, there are always those who know what scripture tells them, but because the word of God doesn’t always fit with their personal understandings of what “truth” is, they decide to reinterpret it to suit their own desires.  As we all know, societal truth is no longer an absolute issue!  In striving to make everyone feel as though they are worthy and included in society and culture, “truth” has become a relative quantity – that your version of what fact is, whether it matches mine or not, is just as acceptable and right as anyone else’s is!  What they forget, though, is that Jesus and His Truth is for everyone, and He welcomes all who seek a relationship with Him!  And His people should be making the same offer to those who feel that they are on the “outs”.

 As committed Christians, we need to appreciate that what society is referring to as “truth”, is actually “opinion” or “desire”.  But when it comes to accepting absolute truth, there is only one source, and that is the author of complete truth - our Almighty God.  And in God’s truth, it becomes the only acceptable way to live this life and to love one another.  In this, our 3^rd topic of living, building, and growing in the way of Jesus Christ, we will see how non-believers will sometimes make offers to join our efforts, even though they obviously have no intention whatsoever to work in unity with the Lord’s way.

 Read Ezra 4:1-5

 The opening verse of this chapter of Ezra speaks of the “enemies” of “Judah and Benjamin”.  But just who were those enemies?  In those days, the conqueror of a nation, in order to keep descension and rebellion to  a minimum, they would export people from one conquered nation and exchange them with people from another one.  By mixing culturally different people, they could dilute religious beliefs, destroy national pride and allegiances, and, especially, interbreed family identities, all of which made control of the region a much easier effort. 

 So who were these enemies of Judah and Benjamin?  In short, they were third or fourth generations of “re-educated” Hebrew slaves, or half-breed descendants of Jews who had been left behind, or residents of other nations who had been brought to Israel.  In general, they were anything but true, God fearing Jews.

 When these unbelievers approached the leadership of the temple restoration with their offers to assist in the work, we have to wonder as to the purpose behind their desire to be part of the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple.  As we read further in this passage, we discover that their offer had absolutely nothing to do with faithful service, and everything to do with bringing a halt to the reestablishment of Israel’s house of worship!

 This is the conundrum that we also find ourselves in today.  Are the words that call us to remain in unity with the Church honest and faithful, or is there more behind their motives?  Is it financial?  Is it authoritative? Is it intended to bring a halt to the growth of a new denomination?  Or is it something even more insidious?  Only time will tell, but for now, the Church must move forward, while remaining faithful and obedient to the word of God in our lives.

 Read Nehemiah 2:11-20

 Nehemiah wasted little time after arriving in Jerusalem.  But after only 3 days, he began conducting a survey of the city’s walls to plan the work that would be required to make the city strong and safe and viable once again.  He started on the southeastern end of the city, and as he moved north and west, he discovered that the destruction was so complete that he couldn’t even travel all the way around the wall that had once stood so strong and formidable.

 He kept the intended project quiet at first, to minimize the opposition, and to gain time to initiate plans and preparation for the project.  But soon after he informed the city’s leadership of why he was actually there, and began the development of plans and preparations for needed supplies and workers, the occupation’s leadership began to hear details of Nehemiah’s project, and opposition to the Lord’s call on the faithful servant began to grow.

 The regional governors had already received the letters that Nehemiah had brought from Artaxerxes (Nehemiah 2:7-10), so the project shouldn’t have been a surprise to anyone.  As a matter of fact, Sanballat and Tobiah knew very well that Nehemiah was coming to address the plight of the Israelites!  But the first accusation that was directed toward the project’s leadership was one of rebellion toward the king!  Didn’t they already know that the king had approved the work?  But they made the charge, just the same. 

 Tactics that those who oppose the Lord’s truth will use always come from every direction, as long as it suits their purpose – even if it’s an intentional fabrication!

 Read 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5

 We will remember from our first three lessons from Nehemiah, that he had a full and faithful prayer life with the Lord.  And he attributes the support that came from king Artaxerxes to the “gracious hand of my God” (Nehemiah 2:8).  When the Lord’s people are faithful and obedient to His call on their lives, it is God’s great pleasure to shower us with His gracious, supportive, and blessed nature.

 And Paul reminds us to not only pray for the Lord’s intervention in every matter, but also for release from the evil that wickedness will always try to pile up on our lives.  He tells us that this release doesn’t come naturally and spontaneously, but again, only in the Lord’s response to our prayers.  Nehemiah knew that lesson perfectly!  Jesus also knew it perfectly, and in several instances, reminded us of the importance of staying in connection with Him! (John 15:4-6)

 And what does that connection do for us?  In John 14:13-14, the Lord tells us that whatever we ask for in His name will be granted.  And what does it mean to ask in His name?  It doesn’t mean that we should simply use a phrase such as “Jesus, I need you to ….”  Asking in the name of Jesus means that a relationship exists between the two of us.  It means that we live in Him, and He lives in us.  It means that a level of trust and dependency in the Lord Jesus exists and even thrives in our heart and soul.  (John 14:19-21)

 But what about those who refuse to follow the Lord’s way?  In the verses that preceded this passage, Paul tells the Church that those who refuse Him will perish, and that God will ensure their sentence by filling them with delusions that will make them truly and fully believe the lies of Satan.  (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12)  And those lies will hold fast to them until the day of their confession and repentance from the ways of the world.

 It's all about having confidence in the Lord and His word, and our following His word faithfully.  When Nehemiah heard the reports of danger and dishonor being forced upon the people of Jerusalem, what did he do?  He turned it all over to his Jehovah God through his fasting, prayer, and heart-broken mourning for their plight.  He knew that he had no power or ability to do a thing to relieve the city of their dilemma, but did know without a doubt that his God absolutely, and positively, could.  And when the pagan king provided all that the Lord’s servant requested, Nehemiah never took any credit for the victory that would soon come for the people.

 Evil will never stand a chance when we turn it all over to the Lord, and willing follow in all that He asks of us in return.  What a blessing – to know that our Almighty God wants to work His ways through and with our involvement. 

 Are all of us prepared to see all that the Lord Jesus is willing and ready to do through our faithful lives?  If we aren’t on the Lord’s side, and not yet ready to work in the ways that He requests, then we can only expect to be on the outside of His grace and hope.  And that will never be an enviable position to be in!

“First the Foundation, Then the Rest”

 Scripture:   Ezra 1:1-4; Ezra 3:7-13; Hebrews 6:1-3

There’s an old saying that says “It is not the beauty of a building you should look at; it’s the construction of the foundation that will stand the test of time.”  Without a solid and strong foundation, whatever is built upon it will never be able to last.  This is the depth and truth behind faith.  Without God’s power, without Christ’s vision, without spiritual truth behind all that we believe and do, that which is based upon it has no value, and no lasting purpose.

 This is the hope that Christianity is built upon.  And it is God in Christ that establishes that hope.  Considering faith as the “building” we read about in that saying leads us to understand that the Church and its missions and ministries that come from our faith are not where we should be placing our joys.  The hope of faith lies solely in the Foundation that the church rests upon.  And the Foundation for all that we do and believe in, rests in all that Jesus did for us, all that He taught us, all that He gave for us.

 Without a solid relationship in Jesus Christ as the Son of God - as Lord of our existence, as Redeemer of our souls, as Savior for our eternal life - whatever beliefs we might have left over will be of little, if any, value whatsoever, without the fulness of Christ within us.

 Read Era 1:1-4

 While on the surface, it may appear as though Cyrus believed that he was the driving force behind sending the people back to Jerusalem, even the king confesses that it was the Lord God Jehovah who inspired him to make his proclamation of support for the Hebrews.  It was the Lord who needed the people to return home to begin the renewing of the temple, and eventually the city, and beyond that, the nation. And not only were the people given the right to leave, but they were also to be given the resources and funding to accomplish their task.

 So why would Cyrus, a pagan ruler, even listen to the God of Israel?  Why would he follow their God’s instructions, their God’s plan, their God’s needs?  It was the authority of God speaking into the king’s heart– not to convert him, but to ensure that Cyrus would not attempt to oppose divine will from working to completion.  And later in this first chapter of Ezra, we read that the king even emptied the treasury of all that Babylon had pillaged from the temple, to allow the Hebrews to return the objects to their rightful place when the rebuilding was complete.  In all, we read that there were 5,400 articles of gold and silver that were taken back to Jerusalem (Ezra 1:7-11)

 The power of God was at work, even through the Persian king.  Apparently, the Lord has no limitations at all – His work isn’t limited to being through those who believe in Him; His grace is freely shared with anyone who will acknowledge and follow His ways; His great plans can always play out to completion, even when we haven’t got a clue as to where we are going or why the Lord wants us to be in a particular place and time.  We just have to follow and trust Him wherever He may take us.

 This is the One who is enabling all that will fulfill His needs for those who love and obey Him.

 Read Ezra 3:7-13

 The foundation of the new temple has been set in place.  Some believe that this refers to a ritual of sanctification and purification that would prepare the building to be used for holy purposes once again.  Similar instances today parallel this form of blessing.  I’ve heard of prayers being offered when a cornerstone or footer was put in place for a new church.  Some may not see the necessity for this effort, but if it draws attention to the purpose of the new structure, or if it focuses the vision of the people involved on what God is preparing to do there - the Lord will always honor the prayers of the faithful.

 And perhaps, prayer at the very beginning of church development should be an integral aspect of our foundation building!  For Israel, they didn’t want any part of pagan influence to touch their temple, whether it came from a prior use of the stone that defined the temple, or whether it came from the individual influence of outsiders.  They wanted to make sure that God would be honored and praised, and that other beliefs were never given a chance to damage their faith again.

 But perhaps the point of it all is that setting the foundation properly must always be the start of any building or rebuilding that the church finds itself in.  If a new mission project is being established, start with prayer for guidance.  If a new leadership team is being put in place, start with prayer for faithful decisions.  If a new opportunity in the life of the church is being considered, start with prayer for God’s blessing and support. Foundation, before anything else is begun.

 Read Hebrews 6:1-3

 The writer of Hebrews is telling us that when the foundation in faith is firmly established, don’t think that you have completed all that is necessary.  Sanctification, or our growth in faith, must be a never ending effort.  And as we grow, we will discover that the basis that guides our worship, and ministry, and mission, and all other aspects of our faith, will be supportive and reflective of what we believe in Christ.  If it is ever revealed that our basic tenants of faith are leading us astray, it is then that we must rethink and reset our faith to get back in step with Christ and His word.  But as long as Jesus and His way continue to be at the core of our ways and means of worship, service, and mission, we need to step out in those things that the Lord calls us to be doing.

 In the passage that we know as the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus spells out the process that we should take as we walk with him through this life.  First, “make disciples of all nations”.  Welcome all who desire to become a follower and student of the way of Jesus, never excluding anyone who is truly seeking Jesus for their life.  Second, baptize them as a sign of commitment in love of our triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  This is the step of becoming a full and willing partner with God in all that He does.  And the final step is to teach obedience to all of the divine commands that have come to us through scripture, as well as what each will do to lead us in faithful service through the name of Jesus.

 Each of these steps reaffirm and build upon the foundation that Jesus has set in place for our lives.  And as we grow in understanding and acceptance of the way of our Lord, our foundation becomes stronger, and steadier, and more important to us as we are called to step out in new and unfamiliar ways.  But through it all, the Holy Spirit is with us in guidance, and assurance, and encouragement, and the trust that we have in the call that Jesus has made on our life also grows and blesses us at every turn we take to stay in step with our Lord.

 May our obedient hearts fulfill every need that Christ has for our lives – both individually and collectively, as we walk together as His Church.