Staying Excited

The History

Isreal had been taken into captivity by the Babylonians in about 608 b.c. and stayed in captivity about 70 years. Until the Medo-Persian take over in 538 b.c. This is when Cyrus was King of the Persian Empire. His first act was to release and restore Isreal which we find in Ezra ch 1.

The Instruction

King James Version Chapter 1

1 NOW in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, 2 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. 3 Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the LORD God of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.

We find that immediatly King Cyrus releaeses the Jews to go back to Jeruselam to rebuild the temple. He then goes as far to give them the things that had been removed from the temple.

King James Version Chapter 1

9 And this is the number of them: thirty chargers of gold, a thousand chargers of silver, nine and twenty knives, 10 Thirty basons of gold, silver basons of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand. 11 All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred.

You see this was a huge deal. Isreal didnt have churches on every street corner like we do. If they didnt have a temple they didnt worship. The temple was believed to be where the very presence of God the Shekinah Glory of God rested.

 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., ). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

The Work

King James Version Chapter 3

3 And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem.

King James Version Chapter 3

3 And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem. 2 Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God. 3 And they set the altar upon his bases; for fear was upon them because of the people of those countries: and they offered burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD, even burnt offerings morning and evening. 4 They kept also the feast of tabernacles, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number, according to the custom, as the duty of every day required; 5 And afterward offered the continual burnt offering, both of the new moons, and of all the set feasts of the LORD that were consecrated, and of every one that willingly offered a freewill offering unto the LORD. 6 From the first day of the seventh month began they to offer burnt offerings unto the LORD. But the foundation of the temple of the LORD was not yet laid. 7 They gave money also unto the masons, and to the carpenters; and meat, and drink, and oil, unto them of Zidon, and to them of Tyre, to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea of Joppa, according to the grant that they had of Cyrus king of Persia.

When we feel something is important we GIVE!!!

King James Version Chapter 3

10 And when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, they set the priests in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites the sons of Asaph with cymbals, to praise the LORD, after the ordinance of David king of Israel. 11 And they sang together by course in praising and giving thanks unto the LORD; because he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever toward Israel. And all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid. 12 But many of the priests and Levites and chief of the fathers, who were ancient men, that had seen the first house, when the foundation of this house was laid before their eyes, wept with a loud voice; and many shouted aloud for joy: 13 So that the people could not discern the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the weeping of the people: for the people shouted with a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar off.

oThey were estactic shouting and weeping Praising God. They were willing to do anything for God and the common cause. It is amazing what happens when the people come together what God can acomplish. Notice I said God we have to keep him at the center or we’ll begin to say look what I done!! It reminds me of a new christian. There’s nothing they won’t do for this God that has taken the weight of sin of them. I’m reminded of the testimoines that were shared the other night at the Young at Herat. Mike testifing to wieght of sin and Ms. joyce talking about the peace that entered in. New Christians should be contagous. It’s kinda like all this flu that is going around. But often times we that have been in the faith for awhile contaminate them instead of catching what they have. Isreal were gun hoe!

The Waning

The New Year’s Diet: Some of us started our new year’s diet back about a month ago and probably for most that has by now fell by the wayside. As most know I love SWEETS it’s my mom’s fault. Tonya and I are doing really good but just last night we were in Bristol going by Dairy Queen yelp I did it snickers blizzard I Love ice cream. it’s like superman’s criptinite.

I heard a pastor say this the other day. Our generation are radicals without follow thru. What we need in the church today is fewer revelutionaires and more plotting visionaries. We need a multitude of faithful risk taking plotters gospel saturated christians holding to godly obedience. It is easy to say to say were going to change the world and then we make church once a month. What we need are men and woman in the church to hear the call that God has called them to do then be faithful to the call not just the first Sunday.

A couple things happened to cause Isreal to begin to wane

King James Version Chapter 4

4 Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,

N24 Then ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem.

Nobody then or now wants Isreal to succeed. The first thing that happened was trouble from the outside. The book of nehimaih is pretty clear and detailed about the rebuilding of the temple. However the second cause of the wanning is what I want to focus on today. tells us this story.

Nobody then or now wants Isreal to succeed. The first thing that happened was trouble from the outside. The book of nehimaih is pretty clear and detailed about the rebuilding of the temple. However the second cause of the wanning is what I want to focus on today. and tells us this story.

King James Version Chapter 1

2 Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD’s house should be built.

oT