This Day With God – A Spiritual Journey | Share The Word

The Mission

Posted on June 8, 2012 by Mark Shields

English: The Jews Return to Jerusalem in the Time of Cyrus; as in Ezra 1:1-11; illustration from a Bible card published by the Providence Lithograph Company (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

King Artaxerxes let Ezra go to Jerusalem as stated in Ezra 7 and take any Levites or priests with him. Also to deliver all the articles entrusted for worship in the temple of God. Ezra was told to appoint law officers and judges to administer justice and teach the laws of God.

Ezra responded with praise to God for the opportunity to bring honor to the house of the Lord; for help in being bold and cheerful. We should have the same attitude because God enables us to do His work and at the end of each day, we should pray and give God all the glory.

God works in history and we should take courage and let God go where we have not gone before. Technology is changing and God can use technology to spread The Word at a much faster pace and Bible study can be done in different ways now.

It’s important to have a plan. I’m thankful that Jesus is God’s plan for us and by accepting Him as Savior, we have taken the steps necessary to make this day with Him amazing! At this link: God’s Plan for Us is a word document that can be read, downloaded and signed by anyone that would like to accept God’s plan.

Questions for Reflection Ezra 7-9 (thisdaywithgod.wordpress.com)
Be a Good Neighbor (chasingthewind.net)
Let’s take the Internet Back (comissioned.wordpress.com)

Posted in Ezra | Tagged Bible Study, Bold, Cheerful, Ezra, God, Jerusalem, Jesus, King Artaxerxes, Levites, Praise, Pray, Savior, Technology, Temple, Worship | 1 Comment

Questions for Reflection Ezra 7-10

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Mark Shields

Over the last week or so I’ve shared some thoughts from Ezra 4-6. What happened to the exiles trying to rebuild the temple can happen to us today. Many times we face adversaries in life but our mighty God can provide shelter from the storms we face. Problems can best be overcome with prayer and by following His will.

The rebuilding of the Temple was put on hold for a long time but many continued to have the desire to see it through. The lesson for us is to encourage brothers & sisters in Christ by creating a picture of endless possibilities & through prayer, build confidence that all obstacles will be removed. Together, we will accomplish more than we could’ve ever dreamed.

They caught a break when King Darius ordered some research be done on finding the decree concerning the rebuilding of the temple of God. The good work would be finished. For us to build momentum and finish the good work, each believer like a stone in the construction of God’s house should sincerely believe that each obstacle will be overcome and enthusiastically act upon each task until completion; celebrating progress by praising God.

To continue the journey further into Ezra, below are questions to be used to stimulate thought about each block of reading.

Ezra 7
Passage Lookup

What commission does Artaxerxes give regarding Ezra? What is Ezra’s response to the king’s action? How do you respond to God’s working in history?

Ezra 8
Passage Lookup

To what extent do you trust God to provide the right person for each task in your group? Describe the successive actions of the exiles after they reach Jerusalem. Why do they do these things (See 7:14-20)?

Ezra 9
Passage Lookup

To whom do the officials bring their report? Why? What is the people’s offense? What underlies their misconduct? What pollutions of the peoples are prevalent today?

Ezra 10
Passage Lookup

How does Ezra’s behavior and prayer affect the Israelites? How does your group deal with corporate breaches of conduct? Think about changes that are needed. What can you do to have the courage needed to go out and start these changes?

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Each day with God is a fresh start because we are forgiven. It can be an amazing day because Christ the difference maker assures that every struggle faced can be overcome. Spiritual growth is a daily process that requires continuous effort but the endeavor is slight compared to the regret one might feel if they never started the progress.

Check up on my posts over the next few weeks as I share some thoughts about each passage. My prayer is that some of the thoughts or ideas that come from my study and reflection of my journey through Ezra can be applied to your own life.

Resources and Supplementary Helps Used in Posts
First United Methodist Waco Podcast
Christ Notes
Adeney, Carol. This Morning with God. Downer Grove Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1978

Darius Decree (momsfirstscreenn.wordpress.com)
Guaranteed Spiritual Growth (groupsguy.com)

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Celebration, Christ, Christianity, Encourage, Exiles, Ezra, God, Jerusalem, Obstacles, Praise, Prayer, Reflection, Shelter, Spiritual Growth, Temple, Together, United Methodist Church | 5 Comments

Lean with Care

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Mark Shields

The third of a four part series on “Stories for the Road” was brought to us last Sunday at my church. Senior Pastor: Rev. Steve Ramsdell gave the sermon message and below is an outline of the message. To catch up on the series or if you think it might be of some help for someone you know, click on this Link and check out the podcast.

1. OUR ROAD IS NOT PREDETERMINED.

We get to choose every day the path to go on. Ask God for wisdom and the courage to go the right way.

2. EVERY ROAD HAS A DESTINATION.

The road we choose today will decide where we go later in life.

3. ALL ROADS ARE NOT EQUAL.

“So God said to him, “You did not ask for a long life, or riches for yourself, or the death of your enemies. Since you asked for wisdom to make the right decisions, I will do what you asked, I will give you wisdom and understanding that is greater than anyone has had in the past or will have in the future.” I Kings 3:11-12 (NCV)

Solomon was 17 years old when his father David died and he became king.

4. GOD WILL HELP YOU CHOOSE A ROAD.

“Trust the Lord with all your heart, and don’t depend on your own understanding.” Proverbs 3:5 (NCV)

Solomon was humble and wise because he leaned upon God’s unlimited knowledge.

5. DIRECTION BEGINS WITH SUBMISSION.

“In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:6 (NIV)

“Don’t depend on your own wisdom…” Proverbs 3:7a (NCV)

We need more of God. We know very little but God Knows it all. Salvation is through Christ and provides our clear path.

Each Sunday, I will usually write out something from the message that is most meaningful to me. This week, it is the importance of following the right path. Like Solomon who was humble and wise, we should lean upon God’s unlimited knowledge and choose His way; the one that Christ clearly laid out as the right path to take.

Here’s an uplifting video about leaning upon God’s unlimited knowledge to lead us down the right path: Lead Me – Sanctus Real. My hope is that it will provide inspiration for your day.

Proverbs 4: 14-17 (proverbialthought.com)
Bible Verses Regarding Preparedness and Defense (5gsandacupofjoe.net)

Posted in Sermon Outline | Tagged Book of Proverbs, Christ, Courage, David, God, Humble, Inspiration, Knowledge, Path, Podcast, Salvation, Sermon Outline, Solomon, Sunday, Wisdom, Wise | Leave a comment

Celebrate Progress With Praises To God

Posted on June 5, 2012 by Mark Shields

Before writing each post, I normally do some research and put some thought into how each passage can be applied in our life. Many times a video will be found that relates to one of the main points in a passage. After reading Ezra 6 and writing about it yesterday, one video came to mind. Simply click this link: Shout to the Lord – Michael W. Smith or on the video below. My hope is that it gives a lift to your day. God Bless 🙂

Each believer is a building block in construction of God’s house. When we sincerely believe that each obstacle will be overcome and enthusiastically act upon each task until completion, there will be the opportunity to celebrate progress with praises to God.

Questions for Reflection – Ezra 4-6 (thisdaywithgod.wordpress.com)
The Tabernacle of David (dailymedit.wordpress.com)
Praise to God (shareaverse.wordpress.com)

Posted in Ezra | Tagged Application, Celebration, Christ, Christianity, David Crowder, David Crowder Band, enthusiasm, Ezra, God, God Bless, Inspiration, Praises, Progress, Religion and Spirituality, Writing | Leave a comment

Momentum Leads to Celebration

Posted on June 4, 2012 by Mark Shields

Reading in Ezra 6, King Darius orders that research be done to find the decree concerning the rebuilding the temple of God. Once found, Darius added to the decree that no one can interfere with the work to be done. This gave momentum to completing the house of God.

In due season, God changed the attitude of those in power to allow the good work to be finished. After its completion, the people of Israel celebrated the dedication of the house of God. Then there was great joy as they generously gave their offerings to God and celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

The lesson for me this amazing day with God is that each believer like a stone in the construction of God’s house should sincerely believe that each obstacle will be overcome and enthusiastically act upon each task until completion; celebrating progress by praising God.