Small Beginnings, Enormous Endings – Zechariah 4:10

Posted on December 19, 2013 by Steve

“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand” (Zechariah 4:10, NLT).

When the first wave of Jewish exiles returned to Judea, they were enthusiastic about rebuilding the Temple that had been destroyed by the Babylonians nearly fifty years earlier. But when their efforts to start rebuilding the Temple were opposed and resisted by neighboring nations and internally by the current inhabitants of the land, the repatriated Jews became discouraged and the Temple continued to lie in ruins for almost twenty more years.

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Staying Focused – Nehemiah 6:15-16

Posted on December 18, 2013 by Steve

“So on October 2 the wall was finished—just fifty-two days after we had begun. When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God” (Nehemiah 6:15-16, NLT).

Nehemiah Chapter 6 recounts the extraordinary political intrigue taking place behind the scenes attempting to prevent Nehemiah and the Jews from rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.

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Solving Society’s Problems: Fear God – Nehemiah 5:15

Posted on December 17, 2013 by Steve

“But because I feared God, I did not act that way.” (Nehemiah 5:15, NLT).

Nehemiah was the cup-bearer to the Persian king, Artaxerxes (465-424 BC). The cup-bearer was a trusted confidant of the king.

When Nehemiah heard about setbacks in the reconstruction of Jerusalem, he requested the king’s permission to return to Judea. Artaxerxes made Nehemiah governor of the province of Judea for twelve years.

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Updating Your To-Do List – Haggai 1:5

Posted on December 16, 2013 by Steve

“Now, the Lord of hosts says this: ‘Think carefully about your ways'” (Haggai 1:5, HCSB).

The work of rebuilding the Temple had ceased for about ten years by order of King Artaxerxes of Persia (Ezra 4:24). Near the end of this ten-year cessation period, Haggai the prophet received a message from God to incite the repatriated Jews to complete the rebuilding of the Temple.

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The Way to Revival – Haggai 1:14-15

Posted on December 15, 2013 by Steve

“So the Lord sparked the enthusiasm of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the enthusiasm of Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the enthusiasm of the whole remnant of God’s people. They began to work on the house of their God, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, on September 21 of the second year of King Darius’s reign” (Haggai 1:14-15, NLT).

Many of the Jewish exiles returned to Judea after Cyrus the Great, King of Persia, issued a decree permitting people who had been conquered and deported by the Babylonians to return to their homelands.

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Prayer Rising – Revelation 8:3-4

Posted on December 14, 2013 by Steve

“And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel” (Revelation 8:3-4, ESV).

The tabernacle and temple sanctuaries in the Old Testament had two altars, one for bloody sacrifice in the courtyard and the other for smoky incense inside, adjacent to the veil into the Most Holy Place (see Exodus 27:1–8; 30:1–10).

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Breaking Bad – Ezra 10:1-2

Posted on December 13, 2013 by Steve

“We have broken faith with our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land, but even now there is hope for Israel in spite of this” (Ezra 10:1-2, ESV).

In 539 BC King Cyrus of Persia captured Babylon and soon thereafter issued a proclamation freeing the Israelites in Babylonian captivity to return to their homeland. The first wave of exiles returned to Jerusalem and started rebuilding the temple in 536 BC and construction was completed in 516 BC.

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Casting Crowns – Revelation 4:9-11

Posted on December 12, 2013 by Steve

“The twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” (Revelation 4:9-11, ESV).

The twenty-four elders may represent the orders of priests serving in the Old Testament temple or they may symbolize the unity of God’s people as encompassing the twelve tribes of Old Testament Israel and the twelve apostles of the New Testament church–like the new Jerusalem’s twelve gates and twelve foundations in Revelation 21. Their thrones resemble those of God’s heavenly court in Daniel 7.

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Why God Listens To You – Daniel 9:22-23

Posted on December 11, 2013 by Steve

“Daniel, I have come here to give you insight and understanding. The moment you began praying, a command was given. And now I am here to tell you what it was, for you are very precious to God. Listen carefully so that you can understand the meaning of your vision” (Daniel 9:22-2, NLT).