DAY 675 - You Can Make A Difference!

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Today's Reading: Nehemiah 1

Please read Nehemiah 1 and listen to what the Lord Jesus Christ would like to tell you before reading my Spiritual Journal below. If you would like to learn a simple and good way of Daily Devotion method please read my “Count Down 5” from this blog. You may click this link directly for the method: Subject Shifting Devotion.pdf. (You may begin with a song to praise the Lord and complete you devotion by singing another praise song.)

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Please click the links below to Nehemiah 1:

• Chinese: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Nehemiah 1&version=CUV
• NIV: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Nehemiah 1&version=NIV
• ESV: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Nehemiah 1&version=ESV
• Message:
  http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Nehemiah 1&version=MSG

When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.

Nehemiah 1: 4

What I received from Jesus today is: You can make a difference!

Quite a number of people thinks that they are not important or even useless, resulting in burn out, doing nothing or depression. In fact, data shows that the percentage of people having depression all over the world is rising and is round 30% now! Do you know you are very useful and you can make a difference?

This chapter shows how Nehemiah made a difference because he was a man of prayer and he fasted. Let's have a short review of the background before Nehemiah's time:

The book of Ezra records how God fulfilled the promise he made through the prophet Jeremiah (Jer. 29: 10-14) to restore the Jewish people after 70 years of exile by bringing them back to their own land (Ezra 1:1). Judah's collapse as a nation and their deportation to Babylon (resulting from the nation's unfaithfulness to God) had occurred in three distinct stages. In stage one (605 B.C.), Judah's young upper class and governing officials, including Daniel, were taken into exile. In stage two (597 B.C.) there were 11,000 more exiles taken, including Ezekiel. In stage three (586 B.C.), the rest of Judah, except for Jeremiah and the poorest of the people, were taken away. In a similar way, the return of exiles to their homeland took place in three stages. In stage one (538 B.C.), 50,000 exiles returned, led by Zerubbabel and Jeshua (Ezra 2). In stage two (457 B.C.), over 1,700 men 9plus women and children, totaling 5,000 - 10,000 Jews) were led back by Ezra (8: 1-14, 18-21). In stage three (444 B.C.), Nehemiah led another group back (Ne 2: 1-10).

The book of Nehemiah concludes the history described in the Old Testament, when the Jewish exiles were permitted to return to their homeland from captivity in Babylon and Persia. The remaining books of the Old Testament cover the prophets who ministered during the time leading up to and including these events. The prophetic books describe in detail the conditions in Israel and Judah that led to their eventual destruction, captivity and exile. In the Hebrew, Ezra and Nehemiah formed a single book, recording the history of the three groups of exiles returning to the land of Judah and the city of Jerusalem. The book of Ezra covers events surrounding the first two returns (538 B.C.; 457 B.C.), and Nehemiah record events during the third return (444 B.C.). While the focus in Ezra is on rebuilding the temple, in Nehemiah it is on rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem. Both books emphasize the importance of spiritual renewal and of devotion to God and his Word. They show God's people getting a chance to start over and do things right after many years of enduring the consequences of spiritual rebellion and God's judgment.

Enough for the background, but have you got that? You can make a difference if you are willing to be a man of prayer and fast. Do you want to make a difference?

Dear Lord Jesus,

Help me to be a man of prayer and willing to fast humbly seeking your face. In Jesus Name we pray. Amen.

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Prayer items today:

For ACiC/AI

Bishop: Rt. Rev. Silas Ng (Michelle)

Network Leader: Rev. Peter Klenner (Jenny)

Network Leadership Team: Rt. Rev. Silas Ng, Rev. Peter Klenner, Rev. Ed Hird (Janice), Rev. Simon Neill (Jo), Rev. Ken Bell (Sonya), Mr. Andy Li (Amy)

Bishop's Chaplain: Rev. Ed Hird (Janice)

Bishop's Assistant: Mrs. Michelle Ng (Silas)

Clergy Formation Advisor: Rev. Ken Bell (Sonya)

Treasurer: Mr. Andy Li(Amy)

Administrator: Mrs. Zenia Cheng (Clarence)

Pray for one Rwanda and Anglican Mission bishop one day at a time:

The Rt. Rev. Alexis Bilindabagabo (Grace)

The Rt. Rev. Terrell Lyles Glenn, Jr. (Teresa)

Pray for one ACiC/AI church one day at a time:

Christ the Redeemer, Pender Harbour

Rector/Senior Pastor: Rev. Jen Morgan (Ken)

Pastoral Assistant: Rev. Carolyn Spence

Twitter version:http://twitter.com/bishopsilasng