Dr. Terry Threadwell's Blog

December 12, 2017. So Your Called to Minister—Studies from Nehemiah

Nehemiah 9:1-4  Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, in sackcloth, and with dust on their heads.  Then those of Israelite lineage separated themselves from all foreigners; and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.  And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for one-fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the LORD their God.  Then Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani stood on the stairs of the Levites and cried out with a loud voice to the LORD their God.

Following the Feast of Trumpets comes Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement.  In this text, the people are praying, confessing their sins and the sins of their fathers.  The hope was that as they prayed, God would accept there sacrifice as an atonement for their sins of the past year and prepare them for the year to come.  Previously under the Mosaic Law, when the tabernacle and temple were functioning, animal sacrifice was required, and the High Priest would go into the Holy of Holies with a blood offering to make atonement for Israel.  Atonement didn’t remove the sin; it merely covered the sin.

Hebrews 9:11-15  But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation.  Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.  For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh,  how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?  And for this reason, He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

Hebrew tells us that the tabernacle and temple were copies of the heavenly temple where Jesus the Great High Priest entered not with the blood of bull and goats but with his own blood.  He didn’t pour out the blood on the mercy seat but sat down on the mercy seat, having obtained mercy.  He didn’t cover the sin.  He removed the sin, having paid in full the price for sin, through his death.

December 11, 2017. So Your Called to Minister—Studies from Nehemiah

Psalm 81:1-4 To the Chief Musician. On an instrument of Gath. A Psalm of Asaph. Sing aloud to God our strength; Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob.  Raise a song and strike the timbrel, The pleasant harp with the lute.  Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon, At the full moon, on our solemn feast day.  For this is a statute for Israel, A law of the God of Jacob.

Nehemiah doesn’t specifically mention the feast but the seventh month would have been the Feast of trumpets.  “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.  ‘You shall do no customary work on it; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD.’ ” Lev 23:24-25

Num. 29:1-6; 3:24, “a memorial of blowing of trumpets.” This feast of trumpets prepared for the day of atonement on the tenth day; compare Joel 2:15, “blow the trumpet … sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly.” It was the new year day of the civil year, the first of Tisri (about October), commencing the sabbatical year and year of jubilee. The month being that for sowing, as well as ingathering of the last ripe fruits, its first day was appropriately made commemorative of creation,  when “all the sons of God shouted for joy” (Job 38:7), the birthday of the world.

 As the sound of the cornet signalized Jehovah’s descent on Sinai to take Israel into covenant, so the same sound at the close of the day of atonement announced the year which restored Israel to the freedom and blessings of the covenant (Exo. 19:16-49). The trumpets’ sound imaged God’s voice and word (Isa. 58:1; Hos. 8:1; Zeph. 1:16; Rev. 1:10; 4:1). So at Christ’s coming in glory (Mt. 24:31; 1 Cor. 15:52; 1 Thes. 4:16). This feast of trumpets reminds the people of their covenant, and puts God in remembrance of His promises (Isa. 43:26; Num. 10:9). So if we would have great measures of grace we must rouse all our energies and aspirations, and cry mightily with trumpet voice to God.

December 8, 2017. So Your Called to Minister—Studies from Nehemiah
Nehemiah 8:1-10 Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded Israel. So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. So Ezra the scribe stood on a platform of wood which they had made for the purpose; and beside him, at his right hand, stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Urijah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah; and at his left hand Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. Then all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law; and the people stood in their place. So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading. And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law. Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our LORD. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

The walls are built and the gates hung, and others are starting to return to Jerusalem. Most of the people haven’t rebuilt their houses, and the temple was destroyed. Ezra the priest and scribe have returned and as they stand on a raised platform by the Water Gate, begin to read the Book of the Law. The Water gate was so named because of an underground stream that flowed. The Talmud, rabbinical teachings, record this as the Temple Mount. This may not be the same location as today. One of the discussions the present site of the al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome on the Rock, thought to have been the site of the first and second temples, the location has no natural source of water, a necessary part of the old sacrificial system.

The people weep as the Word is read, but they were told not to weep but rejoice, go away and celebrate, but don’t forget the poor. Ezekiel, in a vision, says, “Ezekiel 47:1-5 Then he brought me back to the door of the temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar. He brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gateway that faces east; and there was water, running out on the right side. And when the man went out to the east with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the water came up to my ankles. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through the waters; the water came up to my knees. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through; the water came up to my waist. Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross; for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed.” Not only does the water get deeper, but wherever it flows, it brings life.

I believe that the platform Ezra was standing on was symbolic of the walls and the gates of the city. It was a spiritual foundation for revival. Before the Word will ever be heard in Asheville, or in your city, we have got to rebuild the moral fabric and establish the government of God at the gates of the city through prayer and intercession. Only then will the Word be heard and the water of life flow through the city and out to the surrounding land.

December 7, 2017. So Your Called to Minister—Studies fro

Nehemiah 6:10-14  Afterward I came to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was a secret informer; and he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you; indeed, at night they will come to kill you.”  And I said, “Should such a man as I flee? And who is there such as I who would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in!”  Then I perceived that God had not sent him at all, but that he pronounced this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.   For this reason he was hired, that I should be afraid and act that way and sin, so that they might have cause for an evil report, that they might reproach me.  My God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat, according to these their works, and the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who would have made me afraid.

Ezekiel 13:17-18   ” Likewise, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own heart; prophesy against them,   “and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Woe to the women who sew magic charms on their sleeves and make veils for the heads of people of every height to hunt souls! Will you hunt the souls of My people, and keep yourselves alive?

Not everything that claims to be of God is of God, in fact, we know Satan himself is able to appear as an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14).  The prophetess, in this case, was instilling fear in the heart of the people. If a prophetic word or teaching does not line up with the Word of God, then you need to be on your guard.

1 John 4:1-3 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.  By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming and is now already in the world.

John’s test was in response to Gnostic teaching that denied that God ever came in the flesh.  The Devil only brings in falsehood when he knows the people don’t know the truth.

Nehemiah 6:1-9 Now it happened when Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall, and that there were no breaks left in it (though at that time I had not hung the doors in the gates),  that Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come, let us meet together among the villages in the plain of Ono.” But they thought to do me harm.  So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?”  But they sent me this message four times, and I answered them in the same manner.  …….. 9 For they all were trying to make us afraid, saying, “Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will not be done.” Now, therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.

When the enemy had tried everything to stop the work of the Lord, he had one last weapon—compromise.  He wants to get you to compromise your faith, your prayer life, reading the Word.  He wants you to come down from the holy mountain down to the plain of mediocrity.  The enemies plan is to steal your joy, kill all hope, and destroy your faith.  When that happens, we need  to respond with an emphatic ‘No.’  Even if you lose friends, even family, always take the high ground.

Psalm 24:3-6  3 Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place?  4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully.  5 He shall receive a blessing from the LORD, And righteousness from the God of his salvation.  6 This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face. Selah

Nehemiah 4:7-18   Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry,  and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion.  Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.  Then Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall.”  And our adversaries said, “They will neither know nor see anything, till we come into their midst and kill them and cause the work to cease.”  So it was, when the Jews who dwelt near them came, that they told us ten times, “From whatever place you turn, they will be upon us.”  Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.  And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”  And it happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had brought their plot to nothing, that all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work.  So it was, from that time on, that half of my servants worked at construction, while the other half held the spears, the shields, the bows, and wore armor; and the leaders were behind all the house of Judah.  Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon. Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built. And the one who sounded the trumpet was beside me.

Why do some Christians listen to what the devil is saying more than they listen to God?  They spend their time fighting battles that are yet to materialize and become so weary that they end up being paralyzed and ineffective.   If that is you hear this, “Remember the Lord is great and awesome.”

2 Chronicles 20:15   15 And he said, “Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

1.      Clear away the rubbish so that you can see the work at hand.

2.      Remind yourself of what God has done, and speak it aloud.

3.      Always keep the Word at hand and ready to pray.

So Your Called to Minister—Studies from Nehemiah

 NKJ Nehemiah 3:1-8 Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests and built the Sheep Gate; they consecrated it and hung its doors. They built as far as the Tower of the Hundred and consecrated it, then as far as the Tower of Hananel.  Next, to Eliashib, the men of Jericho built. And next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built.  Also, the sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors with its bolts and bars. And next to them Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz, made repairs. Next, to them Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs. Next, to them, Zadok the son of Baana made repairs.  Next, to them, the Tekoites made repairs; but their nobles did not put their shoulders to the work of their Lord.  Moreover, Jehoiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the Old Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors, with its bolts and bars.  And next to them Melatiah the Gibeonite, Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon and Mizpah, repaired the residence of the governor of the region beyond the River.  Next, to him Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs. Also next to him Hananiah, one of the perfumers, made repairs; and they fortified Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall.

The wall was built and the gates put back in place because everybody put all their effort into the job at hand, even the priests, goldsmiths, and perfumers.  Not once do you read of one group being a concern with what the other group was doing or where Nehemiah was?

Genesis 11:6  6 And the LORD said, “Indeed the people are one, and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.

The Genesis text comes from the story of Babel, but the principal is still the same.  One vision, one voice, one goal, working with God and you have a recipe for success.  From my thirty-five plus years of ministry, I have seen the work of the Lord thwarted because everybody wanted to but his or her nose into everybody else’s business.  In the text this morning, only the nobles refused to put their shoulder to the work of the Lord.  They must have thought more highly of themselves than they should have.

So Your Called to Minister—Studies from Nehemiah

Nehemiah 2:17 – 3:1   17 Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.”  18 And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. So they said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to this good work.  19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed at us and despised us, and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?”  20 So I answered them, and said to them, “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.” 

Nehemiah and the people of Jerusalem set their hands to this good work and as soon as they made that declaration two things happened.  First, the opposition increased.  When Nehemiah arrived, Sanballat and Tobiah were disturbed, but now Geshem has joined in.  Second, the enemy brought ridicule, contempt, and accusation as their chosen means of attack.  Nehemiah could have stood up and shown the enemy the letters he possessed from the king, instead he invoked the name of almighty God.  Finally, Nehemiah told the enemy that they have no past, present or future right to be in Jerusalem.

If God has called you to a good work the enemy will attack using, ridicule, show contempt and accusation, and it may come from the most unexpected sources.  Invoke the name of Almighty God, for He that has begun a good work shall bring it to completion.

So Your Called to Minister—Studies from Nehemiah

Nehemiah 2:7-10   Furthermore I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given to me for the governors of the region beyond the River, that they must permit me to pass through till I come to Judah,”  and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he must give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel which pertains to the temple, for the city wall, and for the house that I will occupy.” And the king granted them to me according to the good hand of my God upon me.  Then I went to the governors in the region beyond the River, and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me.  When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard of it, they were deeply disturbed that a man had come to seek the well-being of the children of Israel.

So you have a burden, the Lord’s blessing and the favor of man and yet you seem surprised that the kingdom of darkness is disturbed by what you’re doing?  What do you expect when a child of the King shows up to restore what the enemy has destroyed?  Not only do you show up but you have letters of authority and the host of heaven surrounding you.  The devil’s goals—steal, kill and destroy.  God’s plan is to bring abundant life.  That amounts to a declaration of war, but remember, you are more than a conqueror, and that He that has begun a good work in you shall bring it to a conclusion. 

One piece of advice that might help you in your spiritual battle; when you’re praying about a ministry situation or a dire need, pray using your heavenly language.  The devil wasn’t given the gift of interpretation.  He only knows what’s going on when you tell him.

Nehemiah 2:4-8   Then the king said to me, “What do you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.  And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.”  Then the king said to me (the queen also sitting beside him), “How long will your journey be? And when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.  Furthermore I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given to me for the governors of the region beyond the River, that they must permit me to pass through till I come to Judah,  “and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he must give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel which pertains to the temple, for the city wall, and for the house that I will occupy.” And the king granted them to me according to the good hand of my God upon me.

James 4:2  you do not have because you do not ask.

Nehemiah had a need, and he asked the person that was able to meet that need—no, not the king, but God.  Only when he knew that God had opened the door did he ask the king. When he had all that he needed he gave the glory to God, because it was God that had made the impossible, possible.  So often when we have a ministry need we go to the Lord and then look to each other to meet that need when God may have a source outside of the body of Christ ready to meet that requirement.

The wealth of the wicked indeed is laid up for the righteous.  Perhaps the answer to your ministry needs is just around the corner.