The book of Nehemiah describes the reconstruction of the wall around Jerusalem after its destruction by the Babylonians. It begins with Nehemiah receiving word that the wall is in disrepair. Nehemiah becomes sadden by the news, and King Artaxerxes notices. He asks Nehemiah why he is sad, and Nehemiah tells him about the wall. The king allows Nehemiah to go back with some people and rebuild the wall. Once Nehemiah gets there, he tells the remnant still living in Jerusalem his plan to rebuild the wall. They are happy and begin the work. Even though Sanballet tries to stir up trouble and keep Nehemiah and the people from finishing the wall, they overcome his attacks and finish the wall.
Nehemiah 4: 6 explains why Nehemiah and the people were able to finish the wall, even with all the problems they faced: "So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work." Notice the last part of the verse - "For the people had a mind to work." That's why they were able to finish the wall, even with all the attacks from without and within. The people wanted to work to see the wall finished. They had a desire to complete the work.
When people have a mind, or a desire, or a want, to work, they can accomplish great things. Just look at the story of the tower of Babel in Genesis 11: 1-9. After the flood, the people were still in one place, even though God instructed them to go and populate the entire Earth. They stayed together and desired to build a tower that would reach heaven. Notice what God says in verse 6 : "And the Lord said, 'Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.'" God saw that the people were united about building the tower, and He knew that because of it, they could do anything they imagined. When a group of people have a mind to work, they can, indeed, accomplish great things.
Which brings me to the title of this post - Where is our mind to work? The reason why I ask this question is because I think we've lost our mind to work. We've lost our desire, our want. I think that many today are like the second and third soils described in the parable of the sower in Matthew 13. Those soils either had no root or were choked by thorns. When Jesus gave the explanation for the parable, He said that those groups were people who didn't allow the word to take root in their lives but gave up when persecution came and who allowed the cares and riches of the world to choke the word out. People today have allowed the world to snuff our their desire and want to do God's work. They have allowed the world to extinguish their mind to work.
In order to be pleasing to God, we must get that mindset back. We must be people willing to work for God as He directs us to. I Thessalonians 15:58 tells us, "Therefore, my beloved brethen, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." If we have that mindset to always be doing God's work, then what we do is never in vain. But we must want to have a mind to work. So, the question I want to leave with you is this: Where is your mind to work? Is your mind on God, desiring to do His will, or is your mind somewhere else? If we Christians all have a mind to work for God, just imagine the good we can accomplish for Him and His cause.
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Do You Love Hearing God's Word Preached?
How many times have you heard someone tell you that they love God's Word? I can tell you that I haven't heard it much. Yet, we're told that true followers WILL love it.. "My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes" (Psalms 119:48). "O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day" (Psalms 119:97). "I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love" (Psalms 119:113). A love of God's Word is an important part of being a follower of Jesus. But rarely today do we hear anyone proclaiming their love for it. In fact, we hear more people complaining about God's Word instead of praising it, especially when it comes to it being preached.
People of today are perfect examples of II Timothy 4:3-4 - "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." Instead of insisting that preachers stick to God's Word and proclaim His message, people are demanding that preachers entertain them and make them feel good. People today no longer love hearing God's Word taught; they only want to hear that what they're doing is okay.
Likewise, in II Timothy 3:1-5, we read, "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." Many people today, who hate hearing God's Word, fit perfectly into these categories. They reject God's Word, choosing to love pleasure more than God, and have, what Paul says in verse 5, "a form of godliness". They don't have true Godliness, just a form of it. They don't have the truth, because they don't want the truth. They only want what they think is the truth. They want someone to tell them exactly what they want to hear, not what they need to hear.
Paul, in Romans 10:15, tells us how we should view people who are willing to boldly proclaim God's Word: "And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!" Being a preacher is something to aspire to, like an elder. Those who preach God's Word should be respected, honored, and loved for what they're doing. But, sadly, people won't respect those that preach God's Word. They'll call them names, they'll make fun of them, they'll even go so far as to threaten them in order to silence them. But true Christians will love hearing God's Word preached.
So, now, I ask you, the reader, where do you stand? Do you love hearing God's Word preached or do you despise it? Are you one who hungers and thirsts after God's Word or do you hunger and thirst for another message? The choice is clear: the true follower will desire hearing God's Word, even though it may be difficult at times, over any man-made message, no matter how pleasing to the ears. My friend, I hope you make the correct choice in your life.
People of today are perfect examples of II Timothy 4:3-4 - "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." Instead of insisting that preachers stick to God's Word and proclaim His message, people are demanding that preachers entertain them and make them feel good. People today no longer love hearing God's Word taught; they only want to hear that what they're doing is okay.
Likewise, in II Timothy 3:1-5, we read, "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." Many people today, who hate hearing God's Word, fit perfectly into these categories. They reject God's Word, choosing to love pleasure more than God, and have, what Paul says in verse 5, "a form of godliness". They don't have true Godliness, just a form of it. They don't have the truth, because they don't want the truth. They only want what they think is the truth. They want someone to tell them exactly what they want to hear, not what they need to hear.
Paul, in Romans 10:15, tells us how we should view people who are willing to boldly proclaim God's Word: "And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!" Being a preacher is something to aspire to, like an elder. Those who preach God's Word should be respected, honored, and loved for what they're doing. But, sadly, people won't respect those that preach God's Word. They'll call them names, they'll make fun of them, they'll even go so far as to threaten them in order to silence them. But true Christians will love hearing God's Word preached.
So, now, I ask you, the reader, where do you stand? Do you love hearing God's Word preached or do you despise it? Are you one who hungers and thirsts after God's Word or do you hunger and thirst for another message? The choice is clear: the true follower will desire hearing God's Word, even though it may be difficult at times, over any man-made message, no matter how pleasing to the ears. My friend, I hope you make the correct choice in your life.
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