Pastor Ronnie's Blog

So forgive me as I go backwards a bit in our study of Nehemiah, but as I sat down today to read this passage of scripture again, something new struck me.  Here’s the setup . . .

One of Nehemiah’s brothers, Hanani, came from Judah with some of his friends.  So, Nehemiah started to question him about Jerusalem – he wanted to know the news from his hometown.  When Hanani shared with him that Jerusalem’s walls were burned and broken down and that his people were in disgrace, it was more than sobering.  In fact, Nehemiah just had to sit down and weep.  Then, he began to fast and pray for his people and for Jerusalem.  Here's what he prayed…

"God, God-of-Heaven, the great and awesome God, loyal to his covenant and faithful to those who love him and obey his commands: Look at me, listen to me. Pay attention to this prayer of your servant that I'm praying day and night in intercession for your servants, the People of Israel, confessing the sins of the People of Israel. And I'm including myself, I and my ancestors, among those who have sinned against you.

"We've treated you like dirt: We haven't done what you told us, haven't followed your commands, and haven't respected the decisions you gave to Moses your servant. All the same, remember the warning you posted to your servant Moses: 'If you betray me, I'll scatter you to the four winds, but if you come back to me and do what I tell you, I'll gather up all these scattered peoples from wherever they ended up and put them back in the place I chose to mark with my Name.'

"Well, there they are—your servants, your people whom you so powerfully and impressively redeemed. O Master, listen to me, listen to your servant's prayer—and yes, to all your servants who delight in honoring you—and make me successful today so that I get what I want from the king."

Ok, so that is a powerful prayer.  That is a prayer from a man who is passionate about his people, his community.  Are WE that passionate about our people?  our community?

The last thing he says  after this prayer is simply a description of himself for the reader’s benefit, but it hits you like a ton of bricks.

I WAS CUPBEARER TO THE KING (vs. 11)

Although a captive, Nehemiah had risen to a high ranking in the palace.  He held the position of cup-bearer (aka “Butler”) to King Artaxerxes, the new King of Persia. The position placed his life on the line every day yet gave Nehemiah authority and high pay, and was held in high esteem by him, as the record shows. 

So, here was a man that was passionate about his people, fired up to change the situation, and he had the opportunity and ability to do something about it.  And He did.

So . . .

Are you passionate about the world around you? 

Are you fired up to change the situation?

Has God given YOU a position, opportunity, or ability to use in His service?  Who are you “cupbearer” for?  I know it may seem like an odd thought, but go with me here.  Has God given you a position of authority that you can use for Him?  Has God given you a unique viewpoint or perspective  on life that you can use to reach others?  Has God given you an ability that needs to be surrendered to His plan? 

I believe that WE, at Parkway, can reach the nations AND the people that we rub shoulders with every day . . . our co-workers, bosses, clients, neighbors, family, co-workers, friends.

How?

WE – Ask for a Renewed Passion
WE – Fast for Forgiveness
WE – Pray for Favor
WE – Go and Do!

Do you ever feel listless and broken down?  A mixture of tired, bored, and yet dissatisfied at the same time?  Ever feel discouraged and not know why you can’t shake it?  I think we all have those feelings at times. Those moments can be especially poignant in hard economic times or moments when we go through trials with our families.  Yet, as in every situation in life, when we are discouraged, we can go to the Word and God’s voice speaks to us so clearly.

This past Sunday, we talked about Nehemiah and the rebuilding of the wall in Jerusalem.  In today’s blog, I want to revisit that passage of Scripture and share some of my thoughts with you.

Let me first set the scene for you.  Nehemiah is the account of the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem.  Jerusalem is a symbol of the city of God, God's dwelling place and the center of life for the world. In an individual life, then, the rebuilding of the walls would be a picture of re-establishing the strength of that life. We have all met people whose defenses have crumbled away. They have lost their strength.  They have become human derelicts, drifting up and down the streets of our cities, both large and small, absolutely hopeless and helpless.

Nehemiah 2:11-15 (NIV)
"I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days, I set out during the night with a few men. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.  By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall."

Sometimes, rebuilding the wall means taking a cold, hard look at the situation.  So many times we try to avoid looking at the mess.  We hope it will just go away if we ignore it.  Remember, though, out of our mess can come our message, if that mess is surrendered to God.  Today, in your prayer time, don’t be afraid to take a “fearless self-evaluation”.  In surrender to God, we can be honest with ourselves without fear of condemnation. 

Nehemiah 2:17 (MsgB)
"Then I gave them my report: "Face it: we're in a bad way here. Jerusalem is a wreck; its gates are burned up. Come—let's build the wall of Jerusalem and not live with this disgrace any longer."

There are many reasons for a wall to crumble.  It could be from an enemy attack, from a natural disaster, or just the wear and tear of time and the elements (life).  Yet, when we stand up out of the ashes and, in holy boldness, say . . . “no more”!  We can finally begin to rebuild. 

Nehemiah 2:18 (MsgB)
"They said, "We're with you. Let's get started." They rolled up their sleeves, ready for the good work."

This is a picture of the way the walls of any life, of any local church, of any community, of any nation, can be rebuilt into strength and power and purpose again.

Let’s roll up our sleeves at Parkway! 

Nehemiah 4:14 (NIV)
"After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes."

Today, in whatever ashes or rubble your life may be in . . .
open your eyes, don’t be afraid, stand up, roll up your sleeves, grab a brick, and slap on some mud!

Walls are built one brick at a time.

Well, I can’t believe that our trip to Africa is over and we are already home trying to overcome the jet lag.  This trip has really kicked me in the backside (if you know what I mean). As I sit here thinking about all the things our team was able to accomplish in the short time that we were there, it is almost overwhelming to think of all the lives that we were able to touch.  My mind is flooded with the many children’s faces and the many things that I want to remember.  If I were to begin to tell the story of all the great things that happened while we were there, where would I start? When we left Africa, they told that when we talk about our trip, we would only be able to keep peoples’ attention for about 30 seconds. Wow! 30 seconds! I want to talk for hours about all the things that happened and about all of the children whose faces are still vivid in my mind. These things I will remember forever!  I cannot even tell you about all the animals we saw in 30 seconds. In fact, you can’t even read this blog in 30 seconds. Think about that . . . you will keep their attention for 30 seconds.  I guess that is what James was saying in James 4:14 when he said, “yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” We really only have seconds when you think about it.

So, as I turn my thoughts toward Parkway Community Church, there are people that I come in contact who I want to share with them about our church.  I want them to know about all the exciting things that are going on here. What do you say when talking to your friends?  How do you make the best of those 30 seconds that you have their complete attention? It really does make you wonder. Let’s choose our words with excitement and make the maximum impact that we can with the time we have.

Well, back to our trip . . . if you are still with me. Thank you so much for allowing us the opportunity to go and be a blessing to others.  You are an awesome group of people, Parkway, and God has some great plans for us.  So, get ready as we take off.

03/09 – 7:30 AM (Mozambique), 03/08 – 10:30 PM (Arizona)
Greetings from Mozambique!  We are beginning our morning while you are probably just now going to bed.  Our trip is going great and our team is doing wonderfully.  It so rewarding to see them ministering to the people and all the many children.  It is amazing to me the way that their faces light up when they are with the people. 

On Sunday, we had a great service at Healing Place Church.  Pastor Ben is doing such a great job here!  He started the church about a year ago and is now running around 250 and growing.  In their Sunday service, I had the opportunity to minister the word and God blessed in a great way!  There were 12 first-time conversions!  ISN'T THAT GREAT?! Parkway Church is now responsible for 12 new Christians in Swaziland, Africa.  It reminds me of that old song, “I’m so glad I’m a part of the family of god.”  That family reaches around the world!

So many times we get so consumed with our own little world that we forget much bigger it really is.  It is so much bigger than we realize. I hope in the future some of you will be able to come with us again.  I know that you will be blessed.

After the church service yesterday, Johnny, Ryan, Danny and Brandon went on a hike to “Execution Rock”.  This is a mountain where they used to take people who had committed a crime and they would push them off to their death. I chose not to go and instead opted to do ministry at one of the local orphanages, being the great spiritual leader that I am (I just didn’t have the energy to climb a mountain…after all, I was the one that did all the work on Sunday). *Grin*

Of course, when the guys got back, they told stories of seeing all kinds of wild animals and I kicked myself for not going with them.  I guess if you snooze you lose.

Looking ahead, please keep praying!  This morning, we hit the ground running with ministry and I can’t wait to see what the Lord does next!

It is 6:45PM, about 9:45AM Arizona time.  This morning, we got started around 6:00 AM as we gathered outside of the hotel in Mozambique for a time of reflection.  Then, we headed to one of the local “care points” for children’s ministries.  On the way, we witnessed such poverty that it is hard to describe.  It really makes you appreciate the abundance we have!  Along the way, we saw so many children.  It was an incredible sight.  Once we reached the care point and completed the tour, we played soccer with the kids.  It was amazing to watch Ryan, Danny, and Brandon (with their obvious lack of soccer skills) play against the local children.  Of course, I had to join in and soon realized that I’m not as young as I used to be.

Later on, we arrived at the game preserve with its grass top huts.  We had the opportunity to see three hippos and several rhinos around a watering hole.  God’s creation is so awesome! 

How can I say thank you to our Parkway Church family and friends for allowing us this incredible and unique opportunity to minister.  We are truly touching and reaching the world.

Oh wow, I literally just heard a lion in the distance!  This is incredible!  I will try to keep in touch ever so often during the trip so that I can share with you our experiences through this blog. The phone service and internet ability are very sporadic here, as you can imagine.

May God bless you today as you keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

03/04 – 2:00 PM (Washington, D.C.)

Early this morning, a team from Parkway Church set out on a journey.  Destination…Swaziland, Africa.  Although this trip has been planned for quite some time, with so much to do this past week, I found myself waiting to the very last minute to pack my suitcases.  So, I was up most of last night getting ready for the trip.  There were phone calls to make, instructions to give, laundry to finish, clothes to pack, insurance cards to locate, and passports to find.  Surprisingly, I found myself going through such an incredible range of emotions as I prepared for this trip…excitement, anticipation, frustration, and exhaustion were only a few.  Of course, all this was even before we reached the airport this morning. 

Once we reached Sky Harbor airport, the real fun began.  Tickets and identification had to be fished out of already bulging bags, and luggage had to be weighed and tagged.  Excitement and exhaustion played a tug-of-war as we maneuvered our way through the security checkpoint and eventually to our gate.  Finally and gratefully, we found open seats by the gate and dropped everything at our feet as we collapsed into a welcoming chair.  Our journey had officially begun!

As I take a moment to write this blog, it makes me laugh when I think that we really could relate this experience to our own spiritual journeys.  I hope you would agree with me that if I were to give up now, at this point in my journey (sitting in the airport), it would really be a shame.   Just because I have reached a stopping point in my journey does not mean I have finished it.  In fact, along the way, there are many stops that we have to make.  We’ll be flying from Phoenix to Atlanta and then from Atlanta to Washington, DC.  From there, we’ll take a 14 hour and 55 minute flight to Swaziland, Africa.  Then, the entire journey itself will be a mix of many smaller journeys.  At any point, I can choose to quit the journey, but why would I? Why stop now when my intention is to complete the journey?  In fact, if not completed, my journey loses its purpose altogether. 

Now, do you see the spiritual similarities?  If you remember, this past Sunday morning, I talked about finishing strong.  I took the concept from a bit of scripture in 2 Timothy 4:7.  In the NIV, it says “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”  Many times, we come to a resting place or waiting place in our spiritual journey and we think we are done.  “Ok, I’ll just stop here then.  I’ve reached my destination.  I’ve finally arrived.”  I hate to break it to you, but you ARE NOT done.  We must constantly be pressing toward the goal. 

Philippians 3:14 (NKJV) “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

In the waiting times, we prepare for the journey ahead because we know that His intention is to take us “from glory to glory”, according to 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NKJV).  My friends, the journey is not over.  In fact, it is just beginning.  Let’s not get lazy and miss our flight!

Let’s finish strong!  We can learn a lot about this from Jesus himself…

Philippians 1:6 (NKJV) “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

John 4:34 (NIV) “‘My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.”’

John 19:30 (NIV) “Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.’”

Today, let the excitement of the journey you are on begin to take root.  If you have lost your passion for the destination, get into the Word today and ask God to remind you of His plan and purpose.  Then, begin to prepare for the journey ahead. 

Acts 20:24 (NIV) “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.”