The Heart of the Cup Bearer

"The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month Chisleu, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the palace, that Hanani, one of my brethren, came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem." Nehemiah 1:1,2 KJV

"...For I was the king's cupbearer." Nehemiah 1:11 KJV Full chapter, here.

As you read the entire chapter, take note of the parallel between his earthly (flesh) actions and what is required (spiritually) to be a faithful servant/minister of the Lord.  

Humble, Faithful, Trustworthy, Unselfish, Willing to go the extra mile, Wise, Worked within the protocol/boundaries/rules of the kingdom.... these are a few of the character traits of Nehemiah. Traits that we will exhibit, IF we strive to have them in our spirit.

The last verse of chap 1 sets the tone for the entire reading. He was the cup bearer..... SERVANT. Nehemiah had the training/skill set needed to serve the king. More importantly, he had the HEART of a servant. When driven by the heart to serve (in general) one will learn the skills needed to do whatever could be required by the recipient. In serving the earthly king,, the standards were set high and required full attention of the servant. Nehemiah applied this same observance to the work of the temple.

My greatest take away from today's passage is this: we cannot serve God any better than we serve our fellow man. For. Christ came not to be ministered into, but to be a minister. And, as we have done to to least (mankind) we have done into Him.

Additional scripture references:

Mark 10:43-45, "....even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."

Matthew 20:26,27, "...whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:"

Luke 12:48, "..... to whom much is give, much is required"  

Matthew 25:31-46  "....Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

Oxen Wanted II

I just can't get away from: "No cattle, no crops; a good harvest requires a strong ox for the plow." Proverbs 14:4 The Message

"Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers in to his harvest field." Matthew 9:37,38 NIV

Why was it necessary for the disciples to ask the Lord to send out laborers? Had he not already called the Peter, Andrew, James, and John in Matthew 4:18-22 and Matthew in chapter 9? The Gospel of Mark records their appointment and their calling to preach, heal the sick, and cast out demons.
Same story with the 70 he sent forth in Luke chapter 10.

When I read, "pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest" I feel conviction. I hear the Holy Spirit say to me, "I have already given you the mandate to go, I'm just waiting for you yield and to ask me for instructions." That may not be proper exegesis or exposition of the text, but it is what I know to be true for me.

Again the instructions are clear in Matthew 10:7,8.

Have you raised anyone from the dead lately? Me neither. But we can't let that hinder us from trying. There is still so much to do and His return is near. We have to go into the fields and get our hands dirty. It will take sweat and tears, but His barns will be filled. We don't need to pick and choose what we will and will not pick. Not every ear of corn is perfect. Some of it is immature, some may be infested with parasites or disease. None the less, it is there in the field waiting to be harvested.

I believe it was the late President Reagan that said, " If not now, then when? If not us, then who?" Even if I didn't get the quote just right, you get the idea. The time is now and the who is every blood bought believer.

A Goad for this Ox

I guess I can be too particular about how I want a post to unfold. I have been working for days on a post related to the oxen. It is easier for me to jot a few notes on an index card,step behind the lectern, and let it fly. All the more reason to blog, I guess. The goad will do me good if I yield to it.

Then again; I begin on one subject and realize that it can't be properly covered without covering other subtopics. Next thing I know I have one of those involved posts that require too much time for the average surfer to read. Just excuses. I know I can just break it down into a series of shorter posts. That would probably be better anyway. I can write all I want while my mind is on the subject, then post at regular intervals.

A confession is in order here. Actually, the ease of discovering and reading blogs requires so much less concentration than writing them. There's so much good material out there. I am drawn to the blogs of ministers and theologians. I also enjoy learning about widgets, templates, and HTML. Even writing about needing to write seems to be a deterrent to fulfilling the purpose of this blog.


"But what I’m discovering, contrary to the pervasive wisdom of educating oneself, makes me wonder if this information deluge might be hindering the discipleship process God created rather than boosting it." writes Dan of Cerulean Sanctum. He also has a lot of excellent feedback in the comment section.

What really applies here is that old saying about too much of a good thing.
Isn't that just how the enemy works? He substitutes good things for the best things. He offers excuses in place of the truth. My how he transforms himself into an angel of light!

Even as I write about the enemy, I am reminded of the Victor. He said to Paul on the road to Damascus, " It is hard for you to kick against the pricks". I haven't ever run from my calling and I'm not going to now. I will yield to the goad. Tomorrow is a new day and a new effort.

Oxen Wanted

Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox. Proverbs 14:4 KJV



No cattle, no crops; a good harvest requires a strong ox for the plow. Proverbs 14:4 The Message

Just Help Out

Part Three: For today's text Galatians 6:1-5, see part one posted on 2/23/07.

I ended part two talking about the faulty brother. After all, isn't that what most folks usually do instead of reaching out to him to bring about restoration? We attach a label on him. One that will identify his problem or sin. Indeed, if he is a part of the body of Christ, then we have in effect broadcast a weakness of the body, unwittingly casting a reflection upon ourselves. We sure don't want anyone to see our negatives, but we haven't taken the time to evaluate how our treatment of the offender will show our immaturity as a body. I believe this is how our text ties back into Galatians 5:1. We become entangled again with a yoke of bondage when we revert back to being busybodies or gossips.

Let's go back to the example of setting a broken bone. In describing the process, we have also shown the basic elements of the restoration of a brother gone astray. Initially the brother admits he is broken. This equates to the x-rays or examination. He experiences some pain and pressure as the break is exposed and re-positioned by a qualified individual. Layers of protection are added as a mentor/support group is assigned. Limitations are set as to how the brother will function in the church during the time of healing. These are temporary restrictions that will be lifted as soon as the brother is whole again. During the process, the brother will need supplemental spiritual food. Every effort must be made to eliminate any outside source of pain. Accountability to the mentor(s) is a must and requires dedicated time slots for quality communication just like the required follow-up visits to the doctor. And don't forget the doctor's note releasing the patient to go back to work. The brother should be well on the road to recovery before resuming full service in the body.

As bones are a vital part of the body, providing support and containing the marrow (the site of red blood cell manufacture), so the brother is a vital part of the body. Remember the scripture about the body having many members and each member being important. Who wouldn't rather save a limb through surgery and rehab than have it amputated? We must acknowledge the value of every member of the body. We must realize OUR NEED for each part whole or damaged. Just as we care for our physical bodies, we must care for the body of Christ. We should notice when a part is not functioning properly or is missing all together. Then do whatever it takes to bring health back to the part and thus make the whole healthy.

Lastly, I want to deal with the title of the post. Particularly, the words help and out. To help someone out is to assist them as they get somewhere besides in their current state. This means they have to be making an effort and they desire to be someplace else. If the brother has fallen and is trying to get out, the first step for us is to extend ourselves to him i.e. TOUCH him. If we can make that first effort, I am certain the Holy Spirit will guide us through the rest of the process.

Help a Brother Out

Part Two, see part one for today's text: Galatians 6:1-5

Restore such a one. In the Greek, the word used here for restore carries the connotation of mending nets or setting a broken bone. Either one will demonstrate the principles of restoration. Mending nets would be something the readers would be familiar with, probably more so than most of us today. It was a tedious task at best. For the net to be repaired it had to be taken out of use. Close inspection was required to find each tear great or small. New rope would have to be carefully knotted into the old. Each knot made by seasoned hands and tested for strength before moving on to the next one. The more tears in the net, the more time it would take to repair it. Unless of course other fishermen were called upon to help get the job done.

What about setting a broken bone? First off, it were my bone being set, I would want a doctor. Preferably one with some experience. Thank God I have never broken any bones, but I have observed the setting of a broken wrist. After the appropriate x-rays, pressure was applied and the hand was pulled out away from the body. The patient hollered in pain despite the medication they had received already. After a bit more pressure, the positioning of the bones was inspected, then additional x-rays were taken. Then the hand was splinted, wrapped, and a cast was applied. These were the initial and immediate steps taken to immobilize the injured wrist. Then the patient was given explicit instructions about how to care for her hand and what changes she could expect. She was also told about what signs showed complications and how to handle them. Last instructions included the limitations in using her hand and follow-up with doctor within a prescribed amount of time. She left with her wrist in a cast, her arm in a sling, and prescriptions in her hand.

Generally casts remain on the affected limb for six weeks. During that time, there are weight-bearing restrictions and limitations of use. Many times the patient will need help with the most basic of tasks, like getting dressed or feeding themselves. When a lower extremity is involved, the patient will need a walker, cane, or crutches to get around. Pain management is absolutely necessary and can be done with medication, ice, heat, support pillows, or all of them together.

I didn't realize just exactly how close these two examples paralleled restoring a faulty brother. No, I didn't say that. Oh how easily it is for us to turn things around and point out the wrongness of another.

Chew on this post while I work on the conclusion. Your comments/ideas are welcome.

Help a Sista Out

For a lack of enough time for this slow typist, this will be part one.

I have heard it said of Christians, that we are the only ones who shoot our wounded. What a sad perception for someone to have of the body of Christ. Is it just their perception, or is it something they have actually observed? Do we in fact, kill off our wounded rather than take the time to restore them to health? The Galatian church must have had some problems in the area of restoring wounded Christians, why else would Paul address as he did in chapter six of the book of Galatians. While I may speak of historical times I mean to show the application for our generation today.

Brethren and sisters too, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden.
Galatians 6: 1-5 KJV
I believe this portion of scripture is directly related to Galatians 5:1, which reads like this: "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage."

Obviously the church of his century was much like the church of this one. People from various walks of life coming together to fellowship and worship the One who brought them out of darkness and into the Light. Members of different maturity levels functioning in diverse capacities within the church, yet all needed instructions on how to best serve God and serve one another.

Paul speaks of a man being overtaken in a fault. The fault has taken over the man. Paul does not elaborate as to how the man came to be entrapped, nor to what extent the fault rules the man's life. He is actually addressing the spiritual ones, or more correctly, the spiritually mature.
The admonition here is for the mature to restore the one that has been overtaken, and to do it with humilty rather than an air of superiority.

When you restore a piece of furniture, you do what is necessary to take it back to it's original appearance and functionality. The more delapidated, used, and abused, the more effort and resources it will take to restore it. Restoring people is similar in principle but requires the Spirit of God to be done gently and effectively.