Holy Spirit

Ezekiel 36:26-27 (NIV)
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

Recovery

Nehemiah’s Recovery Process

Repent
Nehemiah 1:6-7 (NIV)
…..I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's house, have committed against you. We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.

Survey the Ruins
Nehemiah 2:13 (NIV)
…..examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire.

Face the Challenge
Nehemiah 2:17-20 (NIV)
Then I said to them, "You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace." I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me. They replied, "Let us start rebuilding." So they began this good work. But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. "What is this you are doing?" they asked. "Are you rebelling against the king?" I answered them by saying, "The God of heaven will give us success.

Remove the Rubbish
Nehemiah 4:10 (NIV)
….. "The strength of the labourers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall."

Build & Stand Guard
Nehemiah 4:17-18 (NIV)
….. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.

Richer, Fuller

George Matheson (1842 – 1906), penned the following words.

O love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

The sacrificial life of Jesus spent, and nailed to a cross, in a savage execution, displays the wonderful compassionate loving nature of our Saviour. So we can sing of the amazing love that has, and will, go to unbelievable lengths to commence and maintain a relationship with us. Such an amazing love, calls us to nestle and rest completely in Jesus. George Matheson describes that rest, as a place where our relationship will know that a deeper relationship is not only possible but also is required of us.

The Bible

I have been recalling aspects of our Study Tour of Israel in the 1990’s. One of the really enjoyable aspects was to use the Bible as a reference point for events that happened in the places we visited. The result was that each place came alive like a tapestry of history. More importantly than that, is the extra life and vitality that the Bible has today, every time it’s pages are opened.




Psalms 119:105 (NIV)
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

Today's Tasks

Today I have had a couple of practical tasks to do. One was unable to be completed, and is referred to Monday. Another was a couple of small plumbing jobs. There are always tasks to be done!

The practical preparations for Sunday have been done, now the personal preparations for worship.



John 17:24 (NIV) ~ Jesus Prayer
Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

Budget Talks

Today we visited our Divisional Headquarters for a meeting to talk about the two Budgets that we are responsible for. We came away with a definite impression that will not be commented on here. The 'Work' of The Salvation Army takes a certain amount of money to sustain each programme, and each ministry.

Part of our objective, is to provide the maximum programme, and support, for the least amount of money. Two Years ago in that journey into Budgets, we were given the challenge to transform the Community Support Programme. With meagre resources at our disposal the last 9 months to the end of March 2009, the value of the assistance supplied to Clients is in excess of $115,000.00. This is truly amazing!






2 Kings 6:23 (NIV)
So he prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. So the bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel's territory.

Spiritual Journey

A copy of the Scriptures will last me about a decade. My working, preaching copy is always a NIV paperback. Something that I can fold up and hold in one hand as I preach. The more dog-eared, the precious that copy has become. If you were to look back into copies you would note that there are a lot of similarities, and differences. As passages have brought revelation into my life, there are under linings and comments on the pages. So! each copy reflects my spiritual journey.





Psalms 138:2 (NIV)
I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.