Uncle Dave

Q3. (Acts 19:21; 20:22-24; 21:12-14) What would have happened if Paul hadn't been sure of his instructions from the Holy Spirit to go to Jerusalem? Would you have tried to dissuade him? It's comforting to receive encouraging words. What level of maturity does it take to receive a direction that might lead us into hardship and danger? What happens when we choose the easy way, when God leads us on a difficult path? If he wasn’t sure of his instructions, he could have been on his way to Jerusalem to face disaster God did not have in mind for him. Would I have tried to dissuade him? That’s a question worth much thought. For sure I would have wanted him to be 100% sure that’s what God wanted him to do and at that point I may have just looked at him with awe and admiration for the courage of the spirit. In all truth it would only take a child-like maturity to head into hardship and danger, especially after having been there but at the same time doubt likes to put it’s 2 cents worth in at times like this and this is where the maturity would pay off. When we choose a way we decide on because of less bumps in the road? Well, look what happened to Jonah? He had to lay in the (no doubt) smelly belly of a fish for a season. It can get harder when we try to take the easy road.

Q2. (2 Corinthians 12:9a; Acts 18:9-10; 23:11; 27:24) How do you think it feels to Paul for God to personally encourage him when he is afraid and hurting? What do we learn about God that he speaks to Paul in this way? Being of the zealous nature Paul is, I imagine it felt pretty good. The fact that Paul was able to hear his voice and be comforted by it is a feat in itself. I’m sure many people in his situation would be thinking things like “what have I got myself into this time?”, because the normal thing for most to think of at such a time is survival yet Paul is able to maintain a sense of the fact that we will on day die anyway which is something most people don’t and only think of how they want to live yet another day. When God speaks to a person in this way, I’m thinking how encouraging it is to know that come the resurrection, the things we went through will have more than been worth it and here is God himself taking the time to remind us.

Q1. (1 Kings 17-19) Why do you think the author contrasts the "still small voice" to the wind, earthquake, and fire? How does God's voice comfort and renew Elijah? Why is it easy to miss God when his voice is gentle and quiet? Could it possibly be a way of describing the one who is the strongest? In life down here on the earth I have often seen where the strongest and most capable people are also quiet natured. If we think about it, our father Yahweh is strong beyond any possible comparison, yet the humblest. If we listen, we can hear him talking, sometimes almost plain as day and yet there are times in a dream I have learned of something taken care of which at one time troubled me more than anything. I remember one time when I first knew Jesus and was out hunting in the mountains when I was sitting in a spot totally tormented about something that happened when finally, almost like a loud hollering voice, the words “forgive her”, I won’t mention exactly what happened but it was at that moment I could have fell asleep out on that freezing cold mountain I was so much at peace. It could be easy to miss God’s voice when there is much distraction. Sometimes I find myself longing to be the person I used to be, which is a bad place to be in but sometimes when things are so noisy a distracting, I get side tracked. I think the 4:00 A.M. thing is the best for me. Sometimes I wished it was always early morning when everyone else is still asleep. That is kind of a greedy and impractical thought but somewhere I think most have been.

Q4. (1 Corinthians 2:9-16) How does the Holy Spirit make "the mind of Christ" available to us? How does this make you dependent upon the Holy Spirit? How does this relate to listening for God's voice? The Holy Spirit makes the mind of Christ available to us because it is through the Holy Spirit that God talks to us. How does this relate to listening for God’s voice? Well, for openers, maybe its God’s way of telling us that if we feel the need to do all the talking, we will never hear God’s voice and how could we possibly learn anything?

Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit so that we might remember everything he taught to his disciples and to guide us through a life of truth and to tell us of things to come. Just the very wording speaks volumes of how all this relates to guidance and as for “hearing God”, the gift of prophecy explains that.

Q2. (John 5:19, 30) Why do you think Jesus said, "By myself I can do nothing"? (vs. 30). How do you justify this statement with Jesus' divine nature as the Son of God? In what ways can we use Jesus' example as a pattern for our own life and ministry? How do you think Jesus would "see" and "hear" the Father? Well, to put things in a matter of fact layout, I believe Jesus meant what he said, otherwise he would not have said it, because he speaks the truth only. Getting a little deeper on that one though, I think Jesus was referring to his dependency upon our father. Why else would he have spent so much time by himself communicating with his father? Just like a family government is supposed to be set up, the father is at the head of the table and is supposed to be the one full of wisdom and authority, Jesus always puts God first, in fact he told us to praise God. The father is the one who is supposed to decide who does what and why. We should be using all of Jesus’ ways for our own life and ministry if we want to see the power of God demonstrated through us. Oh yeah, open my eyes and ears Lord and get me squared away. I’m really loving this particular study because I am learning so much of what I really want to be in life and what I don’t want to be, and the study is only beginning. I’ve heard is stated and stated it myself many times that if you really want to be like Jesus, you have to BE like Jesus was. I’m not talking about all the healings and miracles either. To perform miracles like Jesus did we REALLY have to be like him and completely unload any worldly luggage being carried. How he would hear and see the father, was by living completely in the spirit, completely un-distracted. I often hear him from within and even see things in my mind at times but I really think Jesus was completely in tune with everything.

Q1. (Mark 1:33-39) What pattern do you see emerging in Jesus' prayer life? Why do you think he spends Quiet Time with the Father before the day begins? How does this prepare him for his ministry? How did the disciple desires for Jesus differ from what Jesus felt impelled to do? (Mark 1:37-38) Why? Do you have a Quiet Time? What could you do to improve the quality of your time with God each day? The pattern I’m seeing in Jesus’ prayer life is to get away from all the distractions the world has to offer, going into a “prayer closet”, so to speak. Spending time with the Father being the first accomplishment of the day is preparing for the accomplishments which must take place throughout the day. Of course, it is a preparation for ministry because He needed to get His “marching orders”, so to speak so that He could operate in a spirit-filled manner orchestrated by the Father. The disciples wanted Jesus to perform rather than spread the Word, but Jesus used healing in the lives of those who would believe to attract people to hear the word. Why, the disciples, used to living in the world at that point could not have understood the importance of the Word itself as at that point in history, it was mostly priests from the tribe of Levi being the ones who would have (or, is that “should have”) understood the importance of the written word. Yes, I have a quiet time and I look forward to it more than anything else these days. It doesn’t matter how late I stay up as I get up every morning almost like I had a built-in alarm clock and I’m out of bed, like it or not. It is at these times I present God with some of my hardest questions and sit back in the darkness and “listen”. Not a voice like someone sitting in the room with me but almost like it comes through me. I hear some of the best preaching ever even though, just like in a church service, I often have trouble staying awake. I could probably improve the quality of the time by getting to bed a little earlier, but even when I do I have trouble sleeping and I have one of those digital clocks that casts the numbers out onto the ceiling and it seems like I’m constantly checking it to see if its time yet. Often my wife wakes me on the couch when she gets up but even when I fall asleep at those times its like I can see something I can’t explain telling me what to do that day. Being obedient to what I hear would be a great improvement to my personal quiet time with God.

Q4. (Malachi 2:13-16). What does Malachi teach us about marriage in this passage? Which two or three of these truths do you think would most help improve Christian marriages if applied today? Malachi rebuked those who married outside of the Jewish faith, in fact he called for them to be separated from the Jewish camp. He also taught that marriage, regardless of whether it was within the Jewish faith or whether it wasn’t, it was still a covenant in God’s eyes, and divorce was a violation of that covenant. First, I think it important that Christians marry to those whose beliefs are the same (proven to be the same). For a Christian to marry a non-Christian with the expectation of them changing is a dangerous situation because it usually goes the other way around. For a Christian to go against everything he/she believes in over looks, money, lifestyle, or whatever passing phenomenon it happens to be can cause a person to become separated from Christ. I say passing because it is exactly that, at the end of the age it will be of no use to anyone. One should always put God’s will in front of them and seek it out. I can’t remember word for word what our wedding vows were but when we wrote them the main clause is that we would regard each other as 2nd only to God. It makes me wonder how long will God put up with the U.S. the way things are in this country.

Q3. (Malachi 2:1-9) In what ways do church pastors and teachers fall heir to the role of "teaching priests"? Which of the roles of teaching priests do you see as most vital in your situation? To tell & live the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. So often we see enough of the Word presented in such a way as to make the Christian life appear easy, but carefully omitting the whole story. Salvation is much more than a person saying “I accept Jesus as my savior” because it must come from the heart with repentance. Such a person rarely leaves the old lifestyle and like Jesus said—7 spirits return and find a nice clean house (to tear apart). People need to understand that they need to become involved in the Word of God like 2 Timothy 2:15 states. There is more to Christianity than simply saying “I’m a Christian and, yes, I know Jesus,” but, does Jesus know you? What a fear filled thing to hear when your name gets called and you’re already in the goat pen. In my situation I think setting the example as the most vital at this point because I interact with a number of people and often find myself coming up short on this one.

Q2. (Malachi 2:5; 1 John 4:18) What does it mean to "fear God" in Old Testament days? Should we "fear God" now, as Christian believers? How does fear of God interface with our love for God? How does our love change the fear? Fear of God in the OT days meant looking upon Him in a state of total awe and reverence. Respect for His laws and precepts. Living in the knowledge of the fact that doing so, reaped blessings but one also had to know that if you didn’t live accordingly there was also the fear of what the results would be, which could range anywhere from no rain to captivity. We should always revere God for ALL the things He does. Not all things that take place seem pleasing to us, but God is in control and if we really believe that, we believe that what is happening is either because He caused it or allowed it, and all happens according to His purpose in the long run. A “healthy” fear in this case gravitates toward love. A fear of being whooped (when & where I grew up the rod was always waiting on the poor, rebellious soul), brought about a discipline for parents and other elder people in the process of growing up that quickly develops into love, like as in your neighbors saying something to the tune of “yeah, he/she is a good person and I strongly recommend them” vs something like “watched him/her grow up and trouble always followed their footsteps” type of thing. God also punishes the rebellious with the hopes of getting their attention before it’s too late (a personal belief). When we fear God, we do as He would have us do and not what we would like to do. This isn’t nowhere as bad as it sounds to an unbeliever who can never understand why so many things keep going wrong. When we no longer fear reprisals, we are at liberty for as long as we respect that. Doing things which please God actually pleasurable and it removes the fear of His wrath.

Q1. (Malachi 1:6-14) How were the people and priests disrespecting God with regard to offering sacrifices? In what ways do we today disrespect God in our attitudes toward worship, in giving to God, and in regard to holy things? What is God saying to you personally as you ponder this? The people were being disrespectful in that they were bringing blind, injured, or, to put it simply, not bringing their best. Sounds like Cain & Abel. That in itself was bad enough, but the priests put the icing on the cake by accepting the inferior animals and sacrificing them to God. I think with many people we have become a “church society”, that is, people “go to” church once a week, sit there wondering who will win a football game which is missed because of the need to be in a church gathering, acting religious, acting all pious around truly needy people and looking the other way like they aren’t even there when they approach and keeping them out of our services, so they don’t smell the place, etc.,. We have become a society where you can tell someone is a Christian because they give prayer requests a “like” on facebook or respond with “prayers sent”(I wonder how the send them?). We need to get on our knees and repent (yeah, even if you’re perfect), and not only tell God what’s on your mind, but listen to what is on His. Slowly but surely, one by one the 10 commandments given Moses on Sanai are reasoned away. The most important command of love is broken every time we blatantly refuse to obey ALL of His commands. It was prophesied long ago that this would happen, and sure to God’s Word, it is. The words “praying constantly” need to take effect. There are so many people with big time knowledge of what the Bible has to say, but refuse to live it. It seems there are more with limited knowledge who are much better examples of what God wants us to be. Perhaps that is where the verse from 1 Corinthians comes into play: 1 Corinthians 1:26-27: For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. Maybe I’m just on a rant but so much of what I see practiced by the people who have answered the calling of God leaves me wondering. Perhaps I’m just seeing myself as I write this and see the need for changes in my own life before trying to pull the spec out of my neighbor’s eye.

Q4. (Nehemiah 13:30-31) How should you respond when the people you are ministering to disappoint you? How must you treat them? What must you do to sustain your own faith and spiritual momentum in times of discouragement? Although the response should include love patience, it must be remembered that these are things which must be just that, included. Although this response can be generalized in terms of how we should respond, I think it goes much deeper and needs to be handled on a per case basis as, no matter how much two cases might show striking resemblances, each one is unique and requires appropriate tending. Nehemiah must have been quite the man, in that he pulled people’s hair out and physically beat them up. One must wonder how many of his own wounds he licked in the process of such extreme discipline. Or, maybe God empowered him for the task and people saw that in him invoking fear among the guilty. I know for a fact I wouldn’t have lasted long dealing with the situation the way Nehemiah did. In times of discouragement, which can be really hard and trying, I think back at how stubborn I was in the face of all the people God sent my way over a period of years and think how my rejection to their approaching me with the Word of God and the promise of eternal life. For some reason it didn’t seem like it bothered them, or else they just didn’t show it. Perhaps, they were simply doing as Jesus commanded and shaking the dust off their shoes. I know that things I said hurt and cut to the core and it was the fact that they just moved on that gives me the strength I need to get through stormy weather. That doesn’t make it any easier knowing someone is walking away, still in the throes of the enemy, but it just seems like people showed great patience with me at times when I should have got what Nehemiah was dishing out. As much as I’ve said here, I don’t feel as though I’ve answered the question the way I wanted. When my jaws are flapping in person it usually takes me a while to arrive at what it is I’m trying to say. I thank you for your patience with me even as I often thank God for His great patience with me.

Q3. (Nehemiah 13:1-5, 7-9) Does God set higher standards for leaders than for others? If so, why? What results in the people when leaders become corrupt? How can you keep this from happening to you? If God shows you corruption within, how can you recover from it? For sure God sets a higher standard for a leader because the leader is the one people look up to and if he can’t stand on his own two feet (as a matter of speaking), the followers make no attempt to do right. That goes for anything. If a kid sees his/her parents smoking, they more than likely will follow suit. Even with good leadership problems arise in the followers, but a good leader will step in and attempt the necessary corrections. It is at times like this when a good leader shines but if not up to standard, well, the cookie crumbles. When leaders become corrupt, those who look up to that person begin to fall. The domino effect might be a fair description of the situation. People follow the example set. If a person with a drinking problem goes to an AA meeting and they have a keg on tap at all times the job won’t get done and that person who went there for help will likely fail miserably. I can keep something like this from happening to me by praying constantly. I’m not talking about when people use all their fancy language to make it look good but plain, simple communication, as in talking, yes, but spending a good portion of the time listening. I think this is where most fail when it comes to prayer because we can’t even talk to each other without interrupting of having to have the last word in. Most think of God as one who all you do is vent all your problems to, expecting a quick fix or even for the bigger part as one you approach with an oral wish list and, of course, advice as to how He should handle certain situations. End of rant. If God shows me that I’ve become corrupt, I need to get down on the old knees and fess up & repent. God is compassionate to the max and will often gently put you back on track if you let Him. If you decide you like your sin you can almost rest assured that the “fix” will come with tears on your (my) part.

Q2. (Nehemiah 9:7-35) Why is God's compassion emphasized so strongly in Israel's history? How can God's compassion be present even in times of tough discipline (Hebrews 12:7-11)? How does the compassionate God of the Old Testament relate to Jesus giving himself as a ransom for sinners (Mark 10:45)? I would largely believe encouragement. Even as Israel’s history was being written in the time of Abraham or Moses, or even going back to the time of Adam and Eve (although with Adam & Eve is pre-Israel), God knew that we would be reading about His compassion to a lost world of undeserving sinners. God especially had reason to be compassionate to His people Israel, because they were HIS people, but the same rules apply to all of mankind. Although they will be judged, God has allowed evil people to continue till today, giving them the same undeserved chance He gave me. The compassion God showed to His people throughout Israel’s history is very encouraging to me because it is through God’s law we are blessed and what He showed to His people applies to me also, and I’m not even a Jew! God’s compassion is very much present in times of harsh discipline because if we were to get the punishment we deserved we would all end up as fuel for the goat cooker, plain and simple. God is right here for us if we will only take the time to listen. I relate the compassion of God to the sacrifice Jesus made as neither were warranted or deserved. How sad a day when our Lord has to be nailed to a cross to show His love for us, only to ultimately have the even celebrated with chocolate bunnies passed as gifts. God had no good reason to be patient with the Jews no more than Jesus should have had to be treated the way He was & still is by the very people He created. The words “wretched man I am” don’t only apply to the one who wrote them, my name is on the list also. The most important commandment of all is love. God's compassion and Jesus's love rings out loud here.

Q1. (Nehemiah 8:1-12) Why does the reading of Scripture bring such sorrow to the people? Why is Scripture reading so important in personal spiritual revival? What place does the Spirit have in this? What is the relationship between joy and faith in God's compassion and love? The reading brought sorrow because it showed people where they were messing up and not being pleasing to God. The fact that sin led to the captivity in Babylon and they were doing the same things over made them think. Perhaps they had been living in a world of “they’re the ones who need to repent” and the explanations they were given as to what the readings actually meant and that it was directed toward them, and not the other guy (not saying the other guy didn’t screw up). When a person comes to grips with that and realizes they (i.e. as in “me”) are the one who needs to repent it tears your insides up a bit. If revival is a renewing of a person he/she needs to know what their new identity should compare to. If we desire to become more Christ like, the only place to find that new person we’re looking for is in the Word. Sometimes a person can read the Bible cover to cover and find just one little item that makes all the difference in the world. He will sell all he owns to get that item. It is the spirit who speaks to us and leads us to & down the path we are looking for. Time spent listening to the spirit compared to a gossip columnist puts you far ahead of the game (for lack of the word I want to use, not sure what it is). Truth is freedom. The freedom realized once you experience it. I’ve heard people say that salvation is more than just an experience and that is true, but freedom is an aspect. If you have that faith you know don’t have to worry about anything, because no matter what happens, like it or not, God is in control and even though we experience great sorrow in this life, it is the next one that counts.

Q4. (Nehemiah 6:1-14) Why do Nehemiah's enemies want him to travel away from Jerusalem? Why do his enemies bribe the prophets? How are they hoping to hurt Nehemiah's integrity, will, and authority? How is your enemy trying to make you stumble? A case of the wolf separating the lamb from the herd. Once Nehemiah would have left his post (position) at Jerusalem he would have been vulnerable with no walls of army for protection. Nehemiah was aware of what they were trying to do and continued working. The prophets were bribed with the hope that Nehemiah would buy into just one of the false prophecies and leave the safety of the flock. He had problems enough to deal with, not to mention false reports coming from outsiders. They tried to get Nehemiah to cross the line by attempting to lure him into the temple, a move, if Nehemiah bought into it he would be breaking Mosaic law in one of the worst ways possible. Not only would they have him in a bad situation be entering the temple and breaking God’s law but they could have paraded his dead body around the work the Jews had accomplished so far and when word got back to Artaxerxes there would been a permanent stop to the work, at least under this king. The enemy is always trying to get me on his dark path, so he can yank on a trip wire and bring me down. It gets hard sometimes because he is always trying to wear me down with the same non-rewarding temptations he has always used but now that I’ve quit buying into them his persistence has become even stronger. I must be on total alert at all times because having come close to the mid-60s’ age group, I don’t want to crawl out of any more pits like the ones I have found myself in.

Q3. (Nehemiah 5) Why doesn't Nehemiah wait until he isn't so busy to deal with the complaints of the poor who are being oppressed? What is the chief motivation of their oppressors? How does Nehemiah deal with the issue? Why are church leaders sometimes quicker to deal with the complaints of the wealthy than those of the poor? What motivates these leaders? Nehemiah knew he couldn’t wait on this one because the poor people are the ones who provide the most muscle when it comes to doing the work and the ones who do the fighting when wars come. I think in this case, however it was because it was a case of God’s people ripping off the same, although of a different economic status which is bad enough, but this is to be God’s people this is happening with. Any time you have a problem like this, troubles will soon follow, and the division will grow exponentially until only total chaos exists, and when word of that gets back to the king you can bet that even if heads don’t roll, unpleasant action will take place. Shameful greed and **** for power to make a long story short and I have already used too many words to describe it. Nehemiah comes back at the people using Mosaic justice, which might be hard for the “haves” to deal with, but it is justice instituted by Yahweh Himself and is merciful as well as fair. “Church” leaders are usually much quicker to deal with their buddies with the money because the old saying “money talks” shows just how loud and big it’s ugly mouth can be. I used a quote around the word church for a reason, which I’m sure is quite obvious, but sometimes I can’t help but wonder just exactly what church it is they belong to when they act like that. Not all are like that, but the ones who practice true Biblical economics are getting scarcer by the day. It is amazing how fast one’s mind slips into sin simply by a monetary value symbol. Satan is the motivation of such leaders. They sure aren’t learning it from the Word of God. People need to suit up against the evil one and fight him the way the Bible says to. There is a pastor I know and have the utmost respect for who, although I won’t bring up his actual name, practiced Biblical economics in such a way that made my head spin when I saw it up close. He never had a problem rallying the congregation to all pitch in and help another congregation member who was going through hard times and needed something, and the congregation was of one mind it that they would do all they could to help each other. I remember one night a person was sitting in the back and was slightly disruptive, (had a few too many, but had even more questions before the service was over) anyway, he was trying to make it home and ran out of money and it was snowing hard that night and the pastor put him up in a hotel for the night, gave him money to get home and get something to eat and we were on our way. The pastor was giving me a ride home and he told me of the man’s plight and how, if you helped people and didn’t even think to question what they would do with the money that God would never let you down. That is so true. Although the congregation was small the pastor prospered and even though he worked to pay most of his way, he has a nice home and always time for anybody. You might say I envy a man like that.

Q2. (Nehemiah 4) How does Nehemiah respond to his enemies' ridicule? How does Nehemiah respond to military threats? What effect does this have on construction? How does Nehemiah respond to discouragement and fear in the people? How do you respond to discouragement and fear? What "walls" need to be rebuilt in your life to protect you from temptation and sin? As is typical with Nehemiah, he turns to God in prayer. Instead of responding with more words Nehemiah asked God to return their insults to them Concerning military threats, Nehemiah places armed guards at vantage points and arms the workers also. Half the people were on guard duty while the other half worked, and even the half that worked were armed, work with one hand while carrying a sword in the other. Nehemiah would remind the workers that God was with them and that the king was behind them also and, so they worked with one mind. I have, over the years learned to go to God in prayer at the first sign that things are not going right, but, I still tend to initially go to pieces at times. Something I need to be more consistent at is thanking God for all He does for me and for the way He always takes care of us. I believe in “pre-emptive” thank yous’ in strong anticipation of something but need to be more consistent in the post thank yous’.

Q1. (Nehemiah 3) Why does Nehemiah need to build the walls quickly? Why does he assign so many teams? What motivates these teams? What kinds of problems would Nehemiah need to solve with so many teams working simultaneously? The walls needed to be put up quickly for several reasons, one being that Artaxerxes had already been convinced once declared a halt to the construction, and there was always the chance of being approached by the enemies of the Jews, using any possible means of convincing him yet another time of reverting on the order, a possible danger being that if he reversed it a second time it could have been a subject of ridicule for the king, something he could have taken personally and attacked the Jews militarily with overwhelming force, therefore it would be imperative that they be completed with haste. Another reason for haste is because if enemies like Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem decided to attack they would have only limited time to get defendable barriers in place. The reason for so many teams was to get the wall going up in sections which would be easily joined plus it would be easier to break the job up into “specialty” units, that is, units doing what they do best, plus, a spirit of competition would come into play, each team trying to see who could do not only the fastest but the best job. Of course, there would be problems with an undertaking of such size like morale, whiners, and security just to name a few. That, in itself would be a sizable job.

Q4. (Nehemiah 2:4) What danger is Nehemiah in? Why does he pray quickly and silently before he answers the king? How does this quick "arrow prayer" relate to the four months of prayer he has just finished? Nehemiah is in danger of losing his life if the king were to decide Nehemiah was trying to undermine his decision to put a stop to the construction of the city. At a time when he should be hiding any sad feelings he has, he exposes them on purpose arousing the suspicion of the king. He could have been eliminated for doing such a thing. I see the “arrow prayer” as simply being in continuous communication with his Father to advise & guide him through the situation. Yes, it is a fact that anybody who is in communication with God has shot prayer out like this and I also know for a fact that people often accuse God at such times when He changes the situation for His own purpose. People have the tendency to go on the defense at such times, however, I, myself, and I’m sure many others have been seriously humbled at these times, especially when things quickly work out for better that what we might have petitioned originally. It is times like this we need to be still, trust, and simply believe. That word, believe can be a big word at times, when you’re trying to pray and believe hard. What exactly does that mean? Oops, off track and being an example of what I’m trying to explain, I guess.

Q3. (Nehemiah 1:11) In what way does Nehemiah's situation compare to Esther's? Why does God place his people in strategic positions today in the community, in business, in the military, in government? What responsibilities do we have to God that can cause danger to our positions and our lives? Has this ever happened to you? How do you pray in situations like this? There is a strong comparison in that both Esther and Nehemiah have been called by God to approach the king to intercede for the Jewish people. The situation could easily end up in death because you never knew what mood the king would be in and at a time when his favor to the Jewish people isn’t exactly favorable. God puts people in positions like these to show His glory and to prove His love for His people. To the unknowing such moves could appear as wreck less and totally dare devilish but God is in control and knows the outcome before anything even takes place. I can see where it would still be a test of one’s faith. Sometimes God puts a person in a spot where he could lose all his friends, wealth, power, position, etc., simply by doing “the right thing.” If God is in something and has called for something to be done and it is pursued, things will happen according to God’s plan, but once again, it takes courage to do what one is called to do. I’ve never been in a spot like this, but I’m sure there would be as much fasting and for sure much fervent prayer taking place. I have been in situations in my life when, being on the wrong side of the law I would have to face a judge and the last time around I think I got a taste of what fervent prayer is all about in a situation like this, although the circumstances were not out of courage for a cause on my part.

Q2. (Nehemiah 1:7-11) What is the basis of Nehemiah's appeal? How does he argue his case before God? What do we learn from this about intercession? The basis of the appeal was the fact that God said that if the people looked away He would scatter them, but if they repented He would gather them back together (even from the ends of the earth). Nehemiah reminded God of how the people were servants and He was their master, much like Nehemiah was a servant to the king as a cupbearer, except the case with the people they took delight in revering His name. One important aspect of this is the acknowledgement of the fact that we must be repentant before God if we desire to have His blessing. Something else is remembering that it’s not always the other person who is at fault, much like so many people today seem to think. We live in an “at least I’m not as bad as that person” society where self-justification runs rampant. Also we learn that although God don’t need to be reminded of what He said to Moses, God delights in those who study His word.

Q1. (Nehemiah 1:1-6) Why does Nehemiah pray day and night for four months? Why does he fast and weep? Isn't that excessive? Nehemiah prayed day and night because he was petitioning God, that He would be going in front of King Artaxerxes to discuss the fact that the walls of Jerusalem were in ruins, even years after the completion of the restoration of the temple. Artaxerxes was a very powerful man and Nehemiah had to make sure he followed “protocol” to the ‘t’ because he would be going against a decree put forth by the same king he was to meet with. He fasted and wept because it was his own countrymen who were in a defenseless position in Jerusalem and he really wanted that decree which would declare that the city be finished and the walls rebuilt. I wouldn’t call it excessive because, even though it is impossible to badger God into doing something He does not intend to do, I feel that, it is when we are at our weakest that God talks to us and sets our course so we are not praying for something needlessly. I think back on times when I was desperate and called on God continually and it seemed like every time there was something, some sin that I was more than guilty of and tried to pray my way around it and finally I became so exhausted that God was able to communicate to me the answer. Something like that.

Q4. (Ezra 10:2-4) Do you think Shecaniah's solution to the people's sin of intermarriage was from God? Can you think of any other examples in the Bible of prophetic "words of wisdom" directing God's people at crisis points? How do the people respond to Schecaniah's radical solution? How does Ezra implement it? I have thought long and hard on this question and still not 100% sure for what I think about this. God hates divorce, yet He allows it in the O.T. because of the people’s attitudes of whining and complaining when things didn’t go exactly as they wanted, even in marriages, but Jesus said that He allowed it because of that reason. I’m not a Bible expert but have yet to see where God would recommend or command divorce. The reasons behind this question always brings up another question in me and that is why couldn’t they have taught their wives about God and demanded that Yahweh only be worshipped under their roof. It seems hard to believe God would just abandon women and children like that but then again He had no sympathy for them when Joshua took the people in to conquer the promised land. There were times when Samuel had words for Saul or Nathan for King David. They people responded by agreeing to the solution proposed by Schecaniah and I can’t help but wonder if, in some of the cases that it wasn’t just an easy way out of a marriage they weren’t happy with. Ezra had them take an oath that they would do exactly that.

Q3. (Ezra 9:3-4) How does Ezra react when he hears of the sin of intermarriage? Does he react for show? Does he over-react? Why does he grieve over the sins of the people? What is wrong with us if we don't grieve over the sins of God's people? He tore his clothes, pulled hair out of his head & beard and was clearly disturbed. He didn’t react for show, after spending time telling the people not to do this, and the fact that he had a clear picture in his head of what happens because of the intermarriages, he probably felt fear as well because God put his people in captivity for a long time over the same circumstances. The same goes for today. When we watch things take place, like we’re seeing today and act oblivious to things we know are wrong, it means we are accepting things which shouldn’t be. The problem here is it becomes so much easier for us to fall into the same pit, that is if we’re not already crawling around in it. That means we’re accepting as normal and right what God says is unacceptable and wrong. That means we have entered into the sins of the land and left un-repented, will pay the same price as the rest. It is unfair to our children, because they grow up following what they see and are victims simply because they are not being shown what is right.