Baptist City Blog

And Next Unto Him

Nehemiah 3:2

"And next unto him builded the men of Jericho. And next to them builded Zaccur the son of Imri."

The rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem was no small task. When Nehemiah originally planned to build the wall, I'm sure he understood the great work that was ahead. When reading the Book of Nehemiah, we often miss what made this great work happen. We certainly learn about how God used a man who was available to accomplish this great work, but we miss that this man could not do it alone. The verse above says, "And next unto him..." Nehemiah was one of many involved in the rebuilding of this wall. He could not have done it alone. It took every person being in their place to accomplish this great work.

Let me remind you that the church will never be built by one person. It always takes people like you to see a great work accomplished. Just like Nehemiah was one of many, likewise you are one of many in your church. Your church needs you to be involved in building a great work for Jesus Christ. Let me give you some thoughts about this story that I believe will be helpful to you.

First, beside every great man are a great people who build the work with him. I want you to notice that I said, "beside." Often we say behind every great work are a great group of people, but I tend to disagree with that philosophy because they must be beside the man of God doing their work. Sadly, there are many people behind the man of God watching him as he tries to do the work. No church will ever do anything much for Christ when people are behind the man of God watching. God uses people who are beside the man of God working to accomplish something great for Him. Your church doesn't need you to get behind the man of God, but it needs you to get beside the man of God and help him do the work God called all of you to do.

Second, everyone has something that they can contribute. You will notice in this story there are people from all backgrounds beside the man of God. Your background is useful to the work of the LORD. It takes people from all walks of life to help build the work of the LORD. We all can't be the same, for if that were the case the work of the LORD would not be able to reach as many people as it should. It takes people just like you with your background to get beside the man of God, and with God's help, build the work of the LORD.

Third, when you are not beside the man of God, then there is a gap in the work that cannot be filled. When you go through Nehemiah 3, you see there were many people beside Nehemiah. What if the Scriptures read, "And next unto him a person left their duty, so there was no one to build that section of the wall." This is sadly the case in most churches. There are only a few people trying to build the work of the LORD leaving gaps that cannot be filled. It is important to the work of the LORD that you are in your place of service doing what you are supposed to do. You don't want to be guilty of people going to Hell because you were not in your place of service at your church. You may not think people will actually go to Hell, but what you must understand is that everybody working together allows us the greatest possibility of reaching everyone. When one person is gone, it hurts the outreach of God's work.

Let me ask you, are you next unto your man of God? Are you beside the man of God or behind the man of God? Are you taking your talents and using them for the work of the LORD. God placed you where you are to be an impact to some degree in your church. Don't be guilty of leaving your place empty.

What If?

2 Chronicles 26:5

"And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God: and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper."

The verse above says that King Uzziah did right as long as "God made him to prosper."  Yes, the prerequisite to this was that he sought the LORD. But, what if God didn't make him to prosper? The answer is later found in that he turned away from the LORD. Uzziah was like the average person in that as long as he felt God was good to Him he served the LORD.

There is a problem with this mentality because there are going to be times when you serve the LORD that you are not going to prosper. We live in times when the prosperity preachers make it sound as if everything will be great if you serve the LORD. Certainly God blesses us when we serve Him, but God never tells us how long it will be before the blessing will come.

When you look at the Scriptures, you will find there were many men who didn't immediately see God's blessing. Abraham didn't see God's blessings immediately, but he kept doing right until his old age. Noah did right for one hundred and twenty years before he saw God's blessings. Ezekiel preached his whole life and never saw the blessing of results in his ministry. The three Hebrew children had to go through the fiery furnace before they saw the blessings of God. Many of the Old Testament prophets went years before they saw God's blessings, but they still served the LORD in spite of the lack of prosperity.

A shallow Christianity will only serve the LORD as long as God prospers. What if God didn't prosper you, would you still serve Him? Christian, you should serve the LORD because it is right and not because you are blessed. If the only reason you serve the LORD is because He is blessing you, then what are you going to do when tough times come? I can tell you what you will do, you will do exactly what Uzziah did and that was he quit serving the LORD. I have watched many Christians over the years who seemed like good Christian people, but when adversity came they stopped serving the LORD. The adversity simply revealed how shallow their Christianity really was.

There needs to come a point in your life when you decide you are going to serve the LORD no matter what. In good times and in bad times you must decide to serve the LORD. Yes, it will take character to continue to do right in adverse times, but you should serve the LORD because it is the right thing to do. You will only be successful at continuing to serve the LORD in adverse times if you stop basing your service off the blessings and place your basis of service on right and wrong. If you decide you are going to serve the LORD because it is right, whether or not you are prosperous is not going to stop you from serving the LORD.

I challenge you today to make a choice whether you are going to serve the LORD. Do you find yourself backing off from your service to the LORD when times are not as good? Then you need to make some changes! Look at God's way of life and realize it is the best way because it is the right way. If you will stay focused on that, then you have a better chance of serving the LORD when the "What if" in life comes your way.

Does God See You?

2 Chronicles 16:9

"For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars."

Asa made the same mistake that we often make in that he got impatient with God and relied on man for help. Baasha, the king of Israel, intended to kill Asa. His intent was to keep anyone from going out or coming in to Judah. Asa realized his precarious situation, and hired the king of Syria to defend him. Asa's mistake was that he got impatient with God, and took things into his own hands. Asa's lack of reliance upon God caused him to lose the opportunity to destroy one of his enemies.

In the verse above, God says that He looks for someone through whom He can show His strength. God wants the opportunity to prove to the world that He is still God. Yes, God could use creation to show His power, but He chose to show His power through human beings. God could certainly show His power through manifesting Himself in visions or performing great acts in front of us, but it is through human beings He chooses to show His strength.

You must realize that if God is going to show His strength through you, then you will have to go through adverse circumstances for His power to be seen. We don't like this, but this is what the Scriptures teach. God often sends us through adversity so that His power can be seen through us. God can't show His power through us when we are going through times of ease, but it is when everything seems impossible that God's strength is revealed. When we can't do anything about our situation, and we are surrounded by adversity, then that is the moment God can step in and show His strength through you. If you run from adversity, then God can't show His strength through you. If you run to man to work out your situation, then God can't show His strength through you. You must rely completely upon God for His power to be shown through you.

Moreover, you must be patient that God will come through. God often takes us to our limits before He comes through. Let me remind you that God is rarely early, never late, but He is always on time. Asa became impatient and lost the opportunity for God to work through him. Don't become impatient with God. He knows your situation, and He knows the right time to step in and show His strength.

Furthermore, your heart must be perfect toward Him if you want His strength shown through you. This does not mean you are sinless, instead it means that your whole heart is towards God and that there is nothing else you are going to rely upon. When your heart is completely reliant upon God and His power, then that is when God finds you and shows His strength through you.

Are you facing something today that you feel is impossible? Let me encourage you to be patient and continue serving God. He will step in and rescue you. He is looking for someone through whom He can show His strength. If you will keep doing right and trust God, you will find that you won't have to find Him, but that He will find you and perform His strength through your situation.

The Means to Discovering Wisdom

Proverbs 8:1-2

"Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice? She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths."

The greatest need in anyone's life is the need of wisdom. The whole Book of Proverbs, God deals with the importance of wisdom. When you look at modern society, you see that most people lack wisdom. Our young people act out of foolishness sadly because they have learned foolishness from their parents. Leaders in high places seem to make foolish decisions that one wonders how they ever achieved their position with their lack of wisdom.

The verse above says that wisdom cries out. Several people have asked me how they can get wisdom in certain areas of their life. My answer is always that the Word of God has the wisdom they need. You will find in Proverbs 8 that we find where you can discover wisdom.

In verse 2, wisdom can be discovered through living right. You don't gain wisdom by living in low places, but you gain wisdom by living in high places. You will never find wisdom in places of sin, but you always find wisdom by being in places where righteousness is present.

In verse 7, you find wisdom in truth. It's sad how much truth has been avoided. Today's society seems to think that truth is relevant, but it is not. Truth never changes! If you want to find wisdom, then look for truth.

In verse 10, you find wisdom through instruction. This would seem to be a given. One of the reasons you should listen to instruction is because you will find the wisdom you need in life through it. Whether the instruction is done at home, church or at work, you will always find wisdom through instruction given.

In verse 13, you find wisdom through the fear of God. When you respect what God's power can do to you and for you, then you will find wisdom. It is amazing how the fear of God causes people to make wise decisions. They will make wise decisions because of a fear of what happens if their decision goes against God's will.

These are just some of the areas where wisdom is found; however, I find there is a common denominator in discovering wisdom. Awareness is the key to discovering wisdom. When you're aware of your lifestyle, in what you and others say, in the instruction given and through fearing God, you will see wisdom crying out in these areas. It really isn't that hard to find wisdom if you will simply be aware in all that you do.

Let me encourage you to become aware in all that you do. Don't go through life with your eyes closed, but have an awareness in everything you do. When someone is talking to you, be aware. When you're reading God's Word, be aware. When you're serving the LORD, be aware. When you're around instruction, be aware. Awake the awareness in your life and you will find wisdom is all around. The key to discovering wisdom is simply being aware in all that you do and in every place you go. If you live a life of awareness, you will find that God has provided you with the wisdom you need for your daily life.

What's Your Music Preaching?

1 Chronicles 25:1

"Moreover David and the captains of the host separated to the service of the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals: and the number of the workmen according to their service was:"

Music plays an important part in everyone's life. Music is so important to God that He created one of the archangels who was to lead the music in Heaven. Of course, Lucifer was that angel. When he fell, he also knew how to pervert music so that he could destroy God's people.

One of the reasons music is so important is because of the message it preaches. In the verse above, David set the sons of Asaph apart so they could "prophesy with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals:..." Isn't it interesting that they were not prophesying with sermons that they preached or with words that they spake, but they prophesied with their music. This is very important to understand because music is a sermon, and every song preaches a sermon. Your music should preach a song that keeps your body, soul and spirit in harmony with God. Any music that preaches something that brings your body out of harmony with itself and God is wrong music.

Let me ask you, what is your music preaching? What are the words in the music you listen to preaching? The music you listen to should be music that has words that glorify God. The Scriptures commands us to give God glory in all that we do, and that would include your music. Music is not to glorify man, but it is to glorify God. There are some who say they don't listen to the words, but only to the music. That mentality is wrong because those words are preaching a sermon. Whether or not you think you are listening to the words, those words are still going into your heart and soul. You should only listen to music that preaches the right words.

Let me ask you another question. What are the lives of those who sing the songs you listen to preaching? It is as important that you listen to the right people as it is the right words. Christian, the life of an individual will preach a louder sermon than the words they sing. There are many who sing songs that their life preaches something different than what you would live or believe. You should not listen to those whose lives conflict to the words they preach in music.

Furthermore, what is the melody of your music preaching. That is the sound that accompanies the words. Many people try to justify wrong music because the words are fine, but you must understand the music also preaches a sermon. To the lost world, a worldly melody preaches the wrong sermon. You want a melody that preaches holiness, purity and harmony. You want a melody that points someone to Jesus Christ. Let me ask you, if you took the words away from your music, would the world be able to tell that it's Christian music? Your music preaches a sermon with its melody, and you are to be sure that it preaches the sermon that would glorify God and point people to Him.

Let me encourage you to go through your music and be sure that your music is preaching the right sermon. God said they were to "prophesy with harps..." In other words, your music prophecies your future. If your music has the wrong message, then your future will be dark. Always remember that your life will eventually become like the sermon your music preaches. With the music you listen to, what is it prophesying about your future?

When Little is Much

2 Kings 5:2

"And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife."

We don't know her name. We don't know her parents. We really don't know her age. We've assumed that she was a young girl because she waited on Naaman's wife, but we really don't know her name. What we do know is that she was of little stature, but she did a great deed.

Her master was Naaman, a captain in the Syrian army. She was taken captive and served this man's wife for several years. Though Naaman was a man of stature, his stature didn't keep him from carrying the deadly disease of leprosy. This disease was a death sentence in these days. Yet, though this little maid could have wished Naaman had died, instead she gave the suggestion that he go see Elisha for she knew that God could heal him. This maid of little stature did a great deed.

There are many who think they are too little to make any impact on people and society. Yet, when I study the Scriptures and history, I often find that it is not the great people who do great things, rather, it is those who are little and have nothing to offer that end up doing the great things. This little maid took what she had and used it, and God did something great with what she offered. Let me show you some things from this story when little can become much.

First, a little kindness can do much good. This little maid didn't have to do much to influence Naaman, she simply showed a little kindness. I have found that a little kindness will go a long way in influencing people. It doesn't take much to be kind to people. Every day you should be kind to those with whom you come in contact. Giving people a friendly smile when you see them can do much good. Being friendly to everyone, including the grumpy person, can do much good for someone who is having a rough day. Helping someone with something when they seem overwhelmed can do much good in helping you be able to lead them to Christ, or in helping them through their problems. It only takes a little kindness to do much good.

Second, a little caring can do much good. This little maid had no reason to care about Naaman because he was her master. She could have wished he died, and she could have kept silent and he would have died, but a little caring on her behalf helped him see healing in his life. Every day you should care for people. You never know what a visit when someone is sick will do. You never know what giving someone a little money to help them will do for their situation. Every Christian should be a caring person. You may not be able to care for them in a great way, but you can care for people to the extent that they will let you. A little caring will do much for the sake of Christ.

Christian, you may only have little that you can offer, but if you will take the little that you have and give it, then God can make much from it. Don't ever think that the little you have cannot make a difference. When everyone gives the little that they have, then much will be accomplished. You may not have much, but take whatever intelligence, effort, strength and knowledge you have to use it to the best of your ability. Decide today that you will start doing the best with the little that you have to offer and you will find that God will take it and do much good through it.

Hope in Dark Times

1 Kings 16:33

"And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel that were before him."

In the verse above, Israel faced some very dark days. It must have seemed that there would be no hope. The Scriptures say that "Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel...than all the kings of Israel that were before him." For those who wanted to do right, this must have seemed as if they had no hope. Ahab destroyed the worship of God. He made Baal the national god knowing that Jehovah God would be angry with him. Yet, Ahab didn't seem to care. Those who wanted to do right had certainly entered a dark era.

Do you sometimes feel that you are in dark days in your life? Do you look around and see society and wonder if there is any hope? Are there times when you go to work and see the wickedness from fellow employees? Do you hear the cursing and see the vileness protruding from the lives of those around you? Do you feel that you are all alone in your stance for truth? These feelings can certainly grip the heart of any Christian who desires to do right when you look at the affairs of this world.

Fortunately, God is still on the throne and is not going to sit idly by and let the heathen blaspheme His name. If you only read this chapter, you would think that there is no hope in dark days. Yet, the very next chapter starts out by saying, "And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word." (1 Kings 17:1) In the darkest of times, God provided a man of God. In the worst years of Israel's history to date, God gave them an Elijah. You see, there was hope in dark times. God came through when they thought it was all over.

Christian, let me encourage you that in the darkest of times, God always comes through. When it seems as if it can't get any darker, I promise you there is still a light that can shine, for God is still on His throne. You may feel that all hope is gone, but it is not gone. God will come through for you just like He did for Israel.

I don't know what you are facing today, but let me encourage you to not give up hope. You may see hopelessness all around, but you must keep doing right and believe that God will come through for you. You must realize that the light of God can shine brightest in the darkest of days. The darker things get the brighter God can shine through your life. His light can only shine if you allow Him to shine through you. Elijah lived during the same times as every other Israelite, but He yielded himself to God and allowed God to shine His light through His life. You can either let the dark days cause you to live a life of hopelessness, or you can yield yourself to God and let your life be the light that God shines through. If you will be the conduit for God's light to shine, then you can be that beacon of hope that will lift the spirit of others when they believe all hope is gone.

Establishing Yourself in Life

1 Kings 2:1

"Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying,"

As a young adult it is always a difficult thing to get established in life. I can remember when I was a young man starting in evangelism, it was very difficult to get people to respect me in the ministry into which God placed me. There were those who thought I was too young to be in evangelism. There were others who understood I should be in evangelism, but they did not want to give me the respect of an evangelist. Getting established was a difficult thing, but it was not an impossible thing.

In the verse above, David prepared Solomon to be king of Israel. In the verses that follow, he showed Solomon how to establish himself in life as a young man taking the throne of Israel. There were some in the nation of Israel who did not think Solomon should become king. There were some of his own family members who were jealous that he was the one whom David chose to be king of Israel. Yet, we find in the verses that follow several things that David told Solomon to do that can help every young person to establish themselves in life.

First, secure confidence in what you're doing for the LORD. You will notice David said, "And keep the charge of the Lord by God,..." A young person must never let their age cause them to lack confidence. If God called you to do what you are doing, then you must realize you have God behind you. Paul reminded Timothy not to let people despise his youth. You cannot let your youth cause you to be insecure. Realize that God is the One Who called you into your line of work at a young age, so don't be hesitant about what you were made to do.

Second make sure your way of life is the right way of life. Your way of life are your habits in life. Be sure that you get rid of your bad habits. Bad habits will destroy your life quicker than anything else. As a young person getting started in life, it is imperative to establish good habits and routines which you follow every day.

Third, be sure to obey the Word of God. Obedience to God's Word will always give you the confidence you need in life. It will give you confidence because you are doing what you were supposed to do. Many young people have lost confidence in life because they were not doing what they knew they were supposed to be doing. Obeying God's commandments will certainly establish your life in the right way. God's commandments will establish your home life, your marriage, your business life, and your personal life.

Fourth, don't change God's methods to match your lifestyle. You will notice it says in the verse above, "...as it is written in the law of Moses,..." David reminded Solomon that the end does not justify the means. David wanted Solomon to understand that the methods will lead you to the desired results. You must be careful about falling for Satan's trap of thinking that good results is all that matters. You must establish at a young age that you do things God's way whether or not you get good results.

These four steps will help every young person establish themselves in life. These four steps will give them confidence to face whatever situation comes their way. No matter what your age, you must follow these four steps if you want God to establish your home, marriage, spiritual life, personal life and your business life.

A Blurred Focus

2 Samuel 18:11

"And Joab said unto the man that told him, And, behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten shekels of silver, and a girdle."

Have you ever looked at a picture that just seemed a bit out of focus? When you first see the picture, you begin to rub your eyes and wonder if there is something wrong with your eyes. But, as you try to focus in on the picture, you realize that the focus was blurred. A blurred focus causes you not to see things as clearly as you could or should.

Joab seemed to have a blurred focus. Joab is interesting to me because of his change in position. At one time he had someone approach David about bringing Absalom back. He felt that David should show appreciation to his son for what he did to Amnon. Then, a few chapters later we see Joab scolded a young man for not killing Absalom when he had the opportunity. We then go to the verse above when Joab wanted to destroy a whole city for one man. You may wonder what all of these have in common. In each story his reaction was based upon how a person or situation affected David. It was not based upon right or wrong, it was based upon whether David was adversely affected by these situations.

Joab's focus was blurred because he was focused upon a man an not upon God. In fact, you find that Joab became disloyal when Solomon became king. His loyalty was not to the truths which David defended. His loyalty was to David himself. If David did wrong, Joab followed. If people treated David right, then Joab treated them right. If people treated David in a wrong manner, then Joab wanted them out of the picture. His blurred focus upon man caused him not to see situations clearly. Instead of focusing upon David, Joab should have kept his focus on God, and that would have helped him to see clearly.

Christian, you must be careful about blurring your focus. What I mean by this is you cannot base your opinions and actions upon how a person you look up to is treated. You must base all your actions upon the truths of the Word of God. Men are not the issue of life. That does not mean we can't learn from men, for there are many men whom God used in a great way from whom we can learn much. But, we must not have our eyes so focused upon man that it blurs our ability to see situations clearly.

The Word of God is a Book that is very black and white. God never blurs the picture for us. When you are done reading a passage of Scripture, you know very clearly what God intended. That is why you must keep your focus on God. He never changes. Man has a way of blurring the picture because man does change. Yes, you should honor those who hold position, and you can learn from great Christians from the past, but don't ever let them cause you to take your focus off God. If you stay focused on God and His Word, then you will never find yourself looking at a blurred picture.

When You Can't Do Anything Right

1 Samuel 18:29

"And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David's enemy continually."

Have you ever known a person that no matter what you did you couldn't do anything right for them? David must have felt that way with Saul. The whole situation with David and Saul started when he killed Goliath. After defeating Goliath, the ladies of the city sang that Saul slew his thousands, but David his tens of thousands. That did not set well with Saul. Though David had nothing to do with this song that the ladies sung, that was the incident that turned Saul against him. After that time it didn't matter what David did; he couldn't do anything right for Saul. When he played the harp, he didn't do it well enough. When David skipped a dinner engagement with Saul and his men, it was taken personally. Looking through the whole incident, you can see that David became bewildered because he couldn't do anything right. Though it was not David's fault, he had to deal with Saul for quite some time.

Whether or not you deal with a person like this right now, eventually you will have to deal with one. This situation doesn't have to be of your own making, but it will happen. I know I have had my fair share of situations like this. You can seemingly do everything in your power to try to make things right, but the more you do, the more you seem to frustrate the situation. Let me give you some ideas on how to deal with a situation like this.

First, don't take it personally. Again, it may not be your fault, so you cannot take it personally. It is very easy to get to the point where you take everything this person does personally. If you do that, then you will only exacerbate the situation. You can't take it personally because you don't know what the person is facing. They could be facing serious problems in other areas of their life, and you happen to be the one who takes the blow for their situation. Simply determine not to take what they do personally.

Second, be sure you don't retaliate. When I look at David, he had every opportunity to end the situation by retaliating, but he allowed God to take care of the situation. When you retaliate, you will only make the situation worse. There will probably be many times when you will have to bite your tongue or hold yourself in check to keep from retaliating, but you won't regret suppressing any retaliatory actions.

Third, ask God to change the situation. Whenever situations like this happen to me, I always ask God to change the person who needs changing. I have found in most situations that God has to work on me as well as the other person. God allows situations like this in our lives to better us. If you will be open to the idea that you could be in the wrong, then God can change the areas where you contributed to the situation.

Finally, do good for the person. Though the person may not want your help in anything, they can't stop you from doing good for them. Find something where you can help them. It doesn't always have to be in the area of giving things to them, it could be in the area of doing something for them behind the scenes. God could use your efforts to turn the situation around.

Whatever you do, don't give up on trying to turn a relationship like this around. Always do right no matter what they do. When you become frustrated to the point of quitting, then be honest with God and tell Him how you feel. If you will continue to work on repairing this situation, eventually you could benefit from turning a tumultuous relationship into a great relationship.