Thurs 100304 am Mark 11-16

Mark 11
11.13  was not the season for figs...  I have wondered why Jesus cursed a tree that was not expected to have figs growing at the time.
11.23 this mountain...  hyperbole
.
Mark 12
12.12  so they perceived.... So whats with that?  The disciple can't figure out Jesus' parables, but the lost, hard hearted priest don't seem to have a lot of problem perceiving what Jesus meant. And then they had not heart change.  This is one of the scariest verses in the Bible.  To hear, understand, and not change is tragic and frightening.
12.25  they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven...  seems to indicate that it takes a man and a woman and not just two its to have marriage.
12.40 pretense ... long prayers...
12.22  and perform signs and wonders...  Signs and wonders are way overrated.
    
Mark 13
13.11  do not be anxious before hand...  No need to fret and worry about what the Holy Spirit will say.  :o)
 .
Mark 14
14.7  Jesus is more important than the good deeds that we do for Him. This is apparently a key truth that should be central to the Gospel message, at least in a broader sense.
14.26-31  This must have been so disheartening for Peter.  He get a hard time, but they were all saying it.  I am thinking about God seeming to predict/ordaine that the disciples would deny Him.
14.42  let us be going...  So, why did he ask disciples that he knew were about the desert him to come with him to the arrest.  Hmmm.
14.50 A sad and sobering verses.  God help me.
14.51 I have always wondered about the purpose of this verse.
14.55  I find it mind boggling that they arrested him without having the witnesses, etc. lined up already.
14.61  but He remained silent...  Another reason for Jesus' silence is that he was probably waiting for them to say something that made enough sense it needed to be responded to.
 .
Mark 15
15.14  So when you don't have a good answer, yell louder.  :o)
15.43  took courage...  That's what I need.
.
Mark 16
16.6  and Peter...  This is more that a sweet thought from the Lord Jesus.  It was on Heaven's "talking points" for the day that special attention should be given to Peter so that he would be reassured of Christ's love for him. Peter was included in the memos and included in the special instructions to the angelic "press agents."
16.20  while the Lord worked with them...  Not through this time, but with.  Something to think about for a while.

Wed 100303 am Mark 10

Mark 10
10.21  loved him... a man whose great possessions pulled him away from Christ.
10.31  and the last first...  This seems to be the focus of these verses.
10.45  came not to be served, but to serve and...
10.48  many rebuked him ... But he cried out all the more...  You've got to love the guys spunk!
10.51  "What do you want me to do for you?"  This is a good question for us to give some serious thought.  Carl Laws, who founded Mingo Valley, said if someone came up to the school and offered a large amount of money, we should be ready to tell them why we need it and what it would be used on.  If God came to me like he did here or to Solomon and said, "What do you want me to do for you?", what would I say?   It is a question that I revise and work on from time to time. 

Tues 100301 am Mark 6-9

Mark 6
6.5  He could do no mighty work there ... because of their unbelief...  On one side this statement makes sense, but this was Jesus. 
6.34 he had compassion...  It is alway neat, inspirational, and thought provoking to see Jesus' viseral emotional response to people.

Mark 7
7.6  but their heart is far from me...  Words don't count for much without the heart.
7.19 from within ... come evil thoughts...
7.28  even the dogs under the table eat...  a great thougth for us gentiles.
7.37  astonished...  nothing questionable or ify abouth what Jesus did.

Mark 8
8. 2  I have compassion...
8.34  If anyone would come after Me..
8.37 what can a man give in return for his soul?  There are a lot of things that distract us from a focus on what really matters.

Mark 9
9.6  for he did not know what to say...  God give me the grace to keep my mouth shut when I don't know what to say.
9.20  when the spirit saw Him...  Now this is interesting.  I don't usually think of spirits as seeing things in this sense,  but had not given much thought to how they exercised their senses.
9.24 I believe. Help my unbelief.  This is one of my favorite verses.

Nehemiah 1 message 3.1.10PM @ TBC

This picture of Darius' court with the cupbearer right behind him gives a picture of Nehemiah's position.
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Segway
Talk about the Community Outreach Conference
B. Post exile context
1. Nebuchadnezzar
over about a 20 year period
605 BC – City captured
598 BC – Rebellion suppressed
586 BC - Temple destroyed
2. Zerubbabel -- Cyrus
returns to rebuild the temple in 539-551 (about 70 years after Nebuchadnezzar’s attacks) with Haggai & Zechariah
3. Esther (Hadassah) Ahasuerus
becomes queen of Persia in 473 B.C.
4. Ezra – Artaxerxes I
Ezra returns to rebuild the community in 459 B.C. --almost 60 years after Zerubbabel.
5. Nehemiah – Artaxerxes I
returns to rebuild the walls and serve as governor from 444-424 B.C. with Malachi.
C. Theme of Nehemiah:
We need to trust, serve, and obey the sovereign God who keeps His covenant and restores His people.
D. Nehemiah overview
I. Reconstruction of Wall (1-7)
     A. Preparation (1-2)
     B. Construction (3-7)
II. Renewal of the People (7-13)
     A. Ezra’s Reforms (7-10)
     B. Nehemiah’s Governance (11-13)
Two things to look for in this first section.
1. Seven waves of opposition. “When _____ heard that…”
2:10 Sanballat & Tobiah -- a man had come
2:19 Sanballat, Tobiah, & Geshem – “Let us rise up and build.”
4:1 Sanballat – Wall being rebuilt
4:7 Sanballat, Tobiah, Arabs, Ammonites, Ashdodites – joined up to half its height
4:15 enemies – plot discovered and defended
(5 internal problems)
6:1 Sanballat, Tobiah, & Geshem – wall rebuilt
6:16 Sanballat, Tobiah, & Geshem – work done by God
2. The hand of God at work.
2.10 …they were deeply disturbed that a man had come…
6:10 …they perceived that this work was done by God…
E. Chapter One Big Idea:
A heart passion and period of prayer lay a good foundation for God’s work.


II. NEHEMIAH’S PASSION
A. Attentiveness -- He cared enough to ask.
1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah.
It came to pass in the month of Chislev,
in the twentieth year,
as I was in Shushan the citadel,
2 that Hanani one of my brethren came with men from Judah;
and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who had survived the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.
3 And they said to me,
“The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach.
The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down,
and its gates are burned with fire.” (also in 2.3 to king; 2.13 during inspection; 2.17 to leaders)
-Chislev Nov/Dec
-20th year, probably of Artaxerxes Is reign.
-Shushan
the splendid palace of Shushan was one of the residences of the king
The inscriptions on the ruins represent that the palace was founded by Darius and completed by Artaxerxes.
Here Daniel saw one of his visions (Dan. 8);
the home of Ahasuerus and Queen Esther
Brethren This word does not specify a brother, but we learn from 7.2 that Hanani was Nehemiah's brother
escaped לֵיטָה [ pâleytah, pâletah /pel·ay·taw/] —escape, deliverance
There is not some kind of military operation or break out infered by this word.
Nehemiah asked … and then really listened.
We should be attentive to others.
  Too often we have a task focus, blinders, business minded, and a such quick bustle that   can’t see others in need.
  It takes time to care.
  It takes an outward focus.
  It takes a redirected priority.
  How can someone come into church of caring Christians alone and not be noticed?
  When you walk into church, what are you looking for?
B. Compassion – He cared enough to weep.
4 So it was, when I heard these words, that
I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days;
Jesus was often moved with compassion
Matthew 9.35 But when he saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered…
Matthew 14.14 And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.
Mark 1:41 Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling…
Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him…
Mark 6.34 And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.
Mark 8.2 "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat.
Luke 10.13
12 And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her 
What moves your heart? Do you “shut up your heart” when you see others
1 John 3:17
16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? 
What makes people laugh or weep is often an indication of character. ---Warren Wiersbe in Be Determined
C. Humble faith – He cared enough to pray.
5 I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
Through his fasting before God, he showed humility.
His faith turned his focus and dependence toward God in prayer.
Nehemiah spent extended time in the preparation of Prayer. Verse 2:1 takes place four months later.
Nehemiah, a man of action, who took time to pray first.
…four reasons why prayer is important
1. It makes us wait. (putting our hearts on God’s time)
2. It clears our vision. (as we turn our focus to God)
3. It quiets our hearts. (as we rest and reflect in His presence)
4. It activates our faith. (esp. as we pray scripture)
—Charles R Swindole in Hand Me Another Brick: A Study of Nehemiah (study guide)

IV. NEHEMIAH’S PRAYER compare with Daniel 9.15-17;
A. Praise (5)
5 And I said:
“I pray,
LORD
God of heaven,
great and awesome God,
You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments,
1. GOD’S PERSONAL NAME THAT EMPHASIZED HIS TRANSENDANCE, ETERNITY, AND FAITHFULNESS.
LORD יְהֹוָה Yĕhovah yeh·hō·vä' --"the existing One"
The wording, “Lord God of heaven,” is only used once (Gen 24.7) outside the context of Persia. Since “God of heaven” was a Persian expression for God, it might be best to understand this as a separate name.
2. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PERSIAN NAME FOR GOD. “OF HEAVEN” EMPHESIZES THAT HE IS NOT LIMITED TO A GEOGRAPHICAL AREA OR ETHNIC GROUP.
God of heaven אֱלֹהִים Strong's H430 - 'elohiym el·ō·hēm' --the more general name used for a god, used of men in Psa 82.1
3. HIS GREATNESS, WHEN REALIZED, CAUSES FEAR AND AWE.
(like watching a tornado)
great גָּדוֹל Strong's H1419 - gadowl gä·dōle' --large (in magnitude and extent)
awesome יָרֵא Strong's H3372 - yare' yä·rā' --Niphel; to cause fear or astonishment and awe,
YLT—fearful; KJV—TERRIBLE;
NASB, NKJV, ESV, NIV, NLT--awesome
4. ALLUDES TO DUETERONOMY 7.9 AND EMPHASIZED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THEIR GOD. IT
You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments,
>God's action
Keep your covenant שָׁמַר Strong's H8104 – shamar shä·mar' to keep, guard, observe, give
[Keep your] mercy Strong's H2617 – checed kheh'·sed --goodness, kindness, faithfulness
KJV, NKJV—mercy; YLT—kindness; NASB—lovingkindness; ESV—steadfast love; NIV—love; YLT—unfailing love
Think about God keeping His mercy/kindness/love.
>Our reaction
love Strong's H157 - 'ahab ä·hav' --to love
observe שָׁמַר Strong's H8104 – shamar shä·mar' to keep, guard, observe, give heed
God keeps His covenant and we keep his commandments.
Duet. 7.9 Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;
7 The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; 8 but because the Lord loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the Lord has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. 9 Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; 10 and He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face. 11 Therefore you shall keep the commandment, the statutes, and the judgments which I command you today, to observe them.
B. Confession (6-7)
6 please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open,
that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants,
and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned.
7 We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses.
1. EARNEST
be attentive ... Your eyes open ... that You may hear
Nehemiah is not just talking to himself. He desires God to actually do something.
“When we become too glib in prayer, we are most certainly talking to ourselves.” --A.W. Tozer in Born After Midnight 
2. OWNERSHIP
He confessed the sins of his people and his sins. He took ownership and responsibility for his sins.
…we have sinned…
…my father’s house…
…I have…
confess יָדָה Strong's H3034 - yadah yä·dä' – lit. to throw, shoot, cast (Hithpael) 1) to confess (sin) 2) to give thanks
3. AWFULNESS
The nature of sin.
sins חַטָּאָת Strong's H2403 - chatta'ath khat·tä·ä' --sin (to miss, go astray)
dealt corruptly חָבַל Strong's H2254 - chabal khä·val' -- (Qal) --lit. to twist a cord; fig. to hold in a pledge, or to spoil, corrupt, offend
NIV—wickedly; NLT—sinned terribly
C. Promise (8-10)
8 Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying,
‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations; Deut. 28.64
9 but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, Duet. 30.1-4
yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.’ Duet. 30.1-4
10 Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand. Deut. 9.29
v. 8
Deuteronomy 4
25 “When you beget children and grandchildren and have grown old in the land, and act corruptly and make a carved image in the form of anything, and do evil in the sight of the LORD your God to provoke Him to anger, 26 I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that you will soon utterly perish from the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess; you will not prolong your days in it, but will be utterly destroyed. 27 And the LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the LORD will drive you. 28 And there you will serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. 29 But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. 30 When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the LORD your God and obey His voice 31 (for the LORD your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them.
Is God correcting his people just an OT concept.
Proverbs 3:11, 12 in Hebrews 12
5 ...“ My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
6 For whom the LORD loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives.”
8 But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.
11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.
Also, see 1 Corinthians 11
Deuteronomy 28.64
63 And it shall come to pass, that as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good , and to multiply you; so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nought ; and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it. 64 And he LORD shall scatter thee among all people…
1 "Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God:
15 "But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:
63 And it shall come to pass, that as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good , and to multiply you; so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nought ; and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it. 64 And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other;and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known , even woodand stone. 65 And among these nations shalt thou find no ease , neither shall the sole of thy foothave rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind:
v. 9 "But if you will" are words of hope.
9 but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, Duet. 30.1-4
yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.’ Duet. 30.1-4
Deuteronomy 30.2
when …. you return to the Lord your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, 3 that the Lord your God will bring you back from captivity
1 "Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God drives you, 2 and you return to the Lord your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, 3 that the Lord your God will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the Lord your God has scattered you. 4 If any of you are driven out to the farthest parts under heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you. 5 Then the Lord your God will bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers.
Jeremiah 29.12-14
12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.
4. v. 10
Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand.
Dueteronomy 9.29 (Moses prayed similar)
29 Yet they are Your people and Your inheritance, whom You brought out by Your mighty power and by Your outstretched arm.’
25 “Thus I prostrated myself before the LORD; forty days and forty nights I kept prostrating myself, because the LORD had said He would destroy you. 26 Therefore I prayed to the LORD, and said: ‘O Lord GOD, do not destroy Your people and Your inheritance whom You have redeemed through Your greatness, whom You have brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 27 Remember Your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; do not look on the stubbornness of this people, or on their wickedness or their sin, 28 lest the land from which You brought us should say, “Because the LORD was not able to bring them to the land which He promised them, and because He hated them, He has brought them out to kill them in the wilderness.” 29 Yet they are Your people and Your inheritance, whom You brought out by Your mighty power and by Your outstretched arm.’
D. Petition (11)
O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”
For I was the king’s cupbearer.
( What does it mean to fear God's name? )
desire חָפֵץ Strong's H2655 – chaphets khä·fāts' --desiring, delighting in, having pleasure in
YLT--delighting; NASB, ESV, NIV, NLT—delight
KJV, NKJV—desire should be understood in the sense of already doing it
fear יָרֵא Strong's H3372 - yare' yä·rā' -- to fear, revere
YLT, KJV, NKJV, ESV—fear; NASB, NIV—rever(ing); NLT--honoring
Malachi 1 The opposite is to despise His name.
6 "A son honors his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence? Says the Lord of hosts To you priests who despise My name. Yet you say, 'In what way have we despised Your name?' 7 "You offer defiled food on My altar. But say, 'In what way have we defiled You?' By saying, 'The table of the Lord is contemptible.' 8 And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, Is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?" Says the Lord of hosts.
Malachi 2 To deal with others in the awareness that God is watching, weighing, and rewarding all I do, say, or think.
4 Then you shall know that I have sent this commandment to you, That My covenant with Levi may continue," Says the Lord of hosts. 5 "My covenant was with him, one of life and peace, And I gave them to him that he might fear Me; So he feared Me And was reverent before My name. 6 The law of truth  was in his mouth, And injustice was not found on his lips. He walked with Me in peace and equity, And turned many away from iniquity. 7 "For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, And people should seek the law from his mouth; For he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. 8 But you have departed from the way; You have caused many to stumble at the law. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi," Says the Lord of hosts. 9 "Therefore I also have made you contemptible and base Before all the people, Because you have not kept My ways But have shown partiality in the law." 10 Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously with one another By profaning the covenant of the fathers?
What did Nehemiah want?
1. To succeed in addressing the problem.
posper Strong's H6743 - tsalach tsä·lakh' -- 1) to rush or to go over or through 2) to go on well, prosper, make progress, succeed
2. For the King to be favorable to him.
mercy רַחַם Strong's H7356 - racham rakh'·am --lit. womb; bowels as the seat of emotions; fig affection, pity, or favour
YLT—mercies; KJV, NKJV, ESV—mercy; NASB—compassion; NIV—favor; NLT—favorable to
For I was the king’s cupbearer.
What good is influence, power, and resources if we don't use it to do good for God and His people?  What are you doing with yours?
IV. CONCLUSION
A heart passion and period of prayer lay a good foundation for God’s work.
May your heart be moved with the compassion of Christ, may you be effective in prayer before God, and may He glorify His name through us.

• Mark W. Throntveit in the Ezra-Nehemiah vol. of the Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for teaching and Preaching.
• Derek Kidner in Ezra and Nehemiah of the Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries
• Charles R. Swindole in Hand Me Another Brick: A Study of Nehemiah Bible Study Guide
• F. Charles Fensham in The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah in The New International Commentary on the Old Testament
• Edwin Yamauchi in The Expositor's Bible Commentary with the New International Version
• NET Bible: Translation Notes
• Keil and Delitzsch in Commentary on the Old Testament
• The IVP Bible Background Commentary Old Testament
• Moody Manners and Customs
• D.A. Carson in New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition
• Gene A. Getz in The Bible Knowledge Commentary
• Warren Wiersbe in Be Determined
• David Guzik in the Enduring Word Commentaries
• The Teacher's Commentary Study Guide 44, Nehemiah, "Rebuilding"
• L M Grant in Comments On the Book of Nehemiah
• Arno Clement Gaeblein in "The Book of Nehemiah" in The Annotated Bible
• Matthew Henry Commentary Unabridged
• Thomas Constable in Notes on Nehemiah 2009 Edition