Today is Travis' 26th Birthday.
Later I went to visit Shemaiah son of Delaiah and grandson of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home. He said, “Let us meet together inside the Temple of God and bolt the doors shut. Your enemies are coming to kill you tonight.” But I replied, “Should someone in my position run from danger? Should someone in my position enter the Temple to save his life? No, I won’t do it!” I realized that God had not spoken to him, but that he had uttered this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. They were hoping to intimidate me and make me sin. Then they would be able to accuse and discredit me.
-Nehemiah 6
"Should someone in my position run from danger? Should someone in my position enter the Temple to save his life? No, I won’t do it!"
Is Nehemiah saying that to run from danger, to protect yourself in times of fear is a sin?
Last year Bea and I drove to Cleveland for an Urban Revival Poverty sort of Conference. While we were there we went to a workshop that taught on the book of Nehemiah and urban neighborhoods. That teaching always stuck with me and in fact I am reminded of it now.
Martin Luther King Jr was a sort of Nehemiah to the southern black community in the 1960's and during his life time many, many people made threats towards the life of he and his family. But MLK did not allow fear to drive him. He knew the convictions in his heart and he pressed on in spite of every threat.
As I continue my journey seeking and knocking in search of truth in understanding about hope and fear this scripture seems to shine more light.
"They were hoping to intimidate me and make me sin."
Nehemiah had a task, he had a hope and nothing was going to keep him from that hope. NOTHING. To allow myself to be intimidated to fear, is to sin. Martin Luther King would not allow the fear of death to keep him from his hope.
There is a great power that satan uses towards us called fear. It drives and controls the actions of those who are asleep. It steers humans straight into slavery and death.
There is a greaters power that Jesus uses called hope. It conquers fear it is for those who have faith. It sets the human heart free no matter the circumstance. It is beyond anything fear can touch. It steers humans to life.
Fear may keep a human on this earth longer but they will have never lived.
Hope may make a man's life short but he will have truly lived.
Every man dies, not every man really lives
-William Wallace
I wrote a four word letter
with post-script in crooked lines,
Though I'd lived I'd never been alive.
And you know who I am
you held my hem as I traveled blind,
Listening to the whispering in my ear, soft but getting stronger,
Telling me the only purpose of my being here is to stay a bit longer.
-Four Letter Word (Pt. Two) - mewithoutYou
Is the only purpose of my being here to stay a bit longer? Is that the goal of life? to last for a while only to inevitably die a few moments later?
I am reminded of the film Les Misérables when the young revolutionaries are pinned against the entire french army but they do not surrender, they do not fear. They although much too young lived more than some who see the age 99.
Life is more than surviving, Life is more than fear. Life isn't measured in years.
Jesus died at the age of 33
Martin Luther King Jr died at the age of 39
These lives, although shorter than what I would consider a full life, consisted of more living than most do in 3 times that amount.
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
"All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent."
The goal of life isn't to stay a bit longer.
But He’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, And don’t take yourself too seriously, take God seriously.
-Micah 6
Waterdeep - I'm afraid I'm not supposed to be like this
Later I went to visit Shemaiah son of Delaiah and grandson of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home. He said, “Let us meet together inside the Temple of God and bolt the doors shut. Your enemies are coming to kill you tonight.” But I replied, “Should someone in my position run from danger? Should someone in my position enter the Temple to save his life? No, I won’t do it!” I realized that God had not spoken to him, but that he had uttered this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. They were hoping to intimidate me and make me sin. Then they would be able to accuse and discredit me.
-Nehemiah 6
"Should someone in my position run from danger? Should someone in my position enter the Temple to save his life? No, I won’t do it!"
Is Nehemiah saying that to run from danger, to protect yourself in times of fear is a sin?
Last year Bea and I drove to Cleveland for an Urban Revival Poverty sort of Conference. While we were there we went to a workshop that taught on the book of Nehemiah and urban neighborhoods. That teaching always stuck with me and in fact I am reminded of it now.
Martin Luther King Jr was a sort of Nehemiah to the southern black community in the 1960's and during his life time many, many people made threats towards the life of he and his family. But MLK did not allow fear to drive him. He knew the convictions in his heart and he pressed on in spite of every threat.
As I continue my journey seeking and knocking in search of truth in understanding about hope and fear this scripture seems to shine more light.
"They were hoping to intimidate me and make me sin."
Nehemiah had a task, he had a hope and nothing was going to keep him from that hope. NOTHING. To allow myself to be intimidated to fear, is to sin. Martin Luther King would not allow the fear of death to keep him from his hope.
There is a great power that satan uses towards us called fear. It drives and controls the actions of those who are asleep. It steers humans straight into slavery and death.
There is a greaters power that Jesus uses called hope. It conquers fear it is for those who have faith. It sets the human heart free no matter the circumstance. It is beyond anything fear can touch. It steers humans to life.
Fear may keep a human on this earth longer but they will have never lived.
Hope may make a man's life short but he will have truly lived.
Every man dies, not every man really lives
-William Wallace
I wrote a four word letter
with post-script in crooked lines,
Though I'd lived I'd never been alive.
And you know who I am
you held my hem as I traveled blind,
Listening to the whispering in my ear, soft but getting stronger,
Telling me the only purpose of my being here is to stay a bit longer.
-Four Letter Word (Pt. Two) - mewithoutYou
Is the only purpose of my being here to stay a bit longer? Is that the goal of life? to last for a while only to inevitably die a few moments later?
I am reminded of the film Les Misérables when the young revolutionaries are pinned against the entire french army but they do not surrender, they do not fear. They although much too young lived more than some who see the age 99.
Life is more than surviving, Life is more than fear. Life isn't measured in years.
Jesus died at the age of 33
Martin Luther King Jr died at the age of 39
These lives, although shorter than what I would consider a full life, consisted of more living than most do in 3 times that amount.
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
"All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent."
The goal of life isn't to stay a bit longer.
But He’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, And don’t take yourself too seriously, take God seriously.
-Micah 6
Waterdeep - I'm afraid I'm not supposed to be like this