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Today is Friday June 11, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Nehemiah chapter 13. If you would like to read the chapter along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this link onto your browser: http://www.readytofollow.com/bible-june-11

Today's Message: Being Spiritually Active
As Christians it is important to be spiritually active with God, we are to pray and read His Word every day, find a church that bases it's doctrine and teaching on the New Testament, fellowship with other like minded Christians, and keep ourselves separated from people who live in the world. Yes, we are to be respectful towards everyone, but we are to set ourselves apart from non-believers or even those who say they are Christian, but do not believe in the Gospel of Christ, the death, burial, and resurrection. Sadly, many Christians, including Preachers, Ministers, Evangelists, and teachers have become spiritually inactive, leaving people unknown to the Gospel to fend for themselves and try to figure out everything on their own. Sure it is good to read the Bible on your own and learn how to communicate with Him on your own, but we need some help once in a while from trainers. Just like the physical body needs a trainer to help keep it motivated and physically active to stay fit, the spiritual body needs a trainer to help keep it motivated and spiritually active to stay fit. If we want to get in shape we need to work hard and stay at it because it takes years to get in shape, but only days to lose it.

After being in Jerusalem about 12 years, Nehemiah returned to his duties in Babylon. During his absence, the Israelites neglected reading the Scriptures and, within a brief period of time, the people, including spiritual leaders and church workers had lost interest in pleasing the Lord and began focusing on worldly things. Nehemiah was stricken with grief, how could such a small town get so out of touch with God. Nehemiah arrived to Israelites, including priests married to idol worshipers, work being done on the Sabbath, and no one was tithing so the Levites (church workers) were out working in the fields. Perhaps what grieved him most was that Eliashib, the priest, allying himself with Tobiah, an enemy of God who did everything to stop the rebuilding of the Temple. Eliashib provided special living quarters in the Temple compound for this enemy of God. “On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever; Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing. Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude...And it grieved me sore: therefore I cast forth all the household stuff to Tobiah out of the chamber. Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers: and thither brought I again the vessels of the house of God, with the meat offering and the frankincense. And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them: for the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field. Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place.” - Nehemiah 13:1-3,8-11. Nehemiah was determined to get the people right with God, even if that meant he had to hurt some peoples feelings.

How did they lose touch with God in such a short amount of time? First, they got lax. Instead of staying spiritually active they got lazy, saying it will not hurt me to miss just one service or I do not have to read my Bible all the time. Because they allowed themselves to become lax they became ignorant to God's Word and the Scriptures. Secondly, men of God and teachers have stopped being the examples they are supposed to be, they
have allowed compromise with the world into the church, they do not want to offend anyone, or want to keep the money coming in so they allow the world to dwell in the church and ignore or change God's Word to make it fit in with society. Now, everyone is welcome in God's house, He loves everyone, and wants to see everyone saved, but He wants everyone to know the truth. He will not have men changing His Word to satisfy the needs of the world. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” - John 14:6. People need to hear the truth not to have it sugar coated to fit their lifestyles, the truth hurts sometimes, but it would not hurt so much if we were doing what we should be doing in the first place. An old movie quote comes to mind, “You can't handle the truth”. The world and even some Christians do not want to hear the truth, the fact is, heaven and hell are real and every person will end up in one of these places. Fornication, adultery, homosexuality, drunkenness, gambling, and astrology are all sins that God despises, all have sinned and will face the consequences of their sins. Ignorance is not bliss, it can not save you only Jesus can save you.

Nehemiah took affirmative action, he stood for the Word of God and would not consent to their compromising attitude toward sin. “And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and some of my servants set I at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day. So the merchants and sellers of all kind of ware lodged without Jerusalem once or twice. Then I testified against them, and said unto them, Why lodge ye about the wall? if ye do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no more on the sabbath. And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy....And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons, or for yourselves.” - Nehemiah 13:19-22,25. Nehemiah continued his reformation while facing much opposition. A true man of God will not let the world intimidate them from telling and living by the true Word of God. Of course church leaders make mistakes, but the only way to get right with God and get the people right with God is by following an example and living by all of the truths found in His Word, not picking and choosing what they want to follow and bend the rules or eliminate the rest of them. We are all to set an example foe the world to follow, otherwise how are they to know the importance of following Christ.

Too often Christians compromise with the world because they lack knowledge of the Scriptures, they excuse disloyalty to God by saying they don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. But where there is obvious opposition to what is clearly stated in God's Word, we must take a positive stand for Christ. “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. 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. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.” - II Timothy 4:1-5. We can not stop teaching and living by the truth of God's Word no matter how many people try to deny, change, or compromise with the facts. To resist worldly influence calls for tough decisions to be made in order to remain faithful to God's Word. We must stay spiritually active or get back in shape, if we are not walking with God daily we will not be able to fight off the devil who would like nothing better than to get strong Christians away from God and compromising with the world.

Enjoy the rest of your day/night and weekend.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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