September 23, 2025 • 24 mins
Episode 777:
In this episode, we begin by reading from the book of Nehemiah, specifically chapter 1. We provide some context about Nehemiah, a cupbearer to King Artaxerxes, who learns about the dire state of Jerusalem after the Jewish people have returned from exile. The city is in ruins, and Nehemiah is deeply moved by this news, leading him to pray and seek permission from the king to return and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
In this episode, we begin by reading from the book of Nehemiah, specifically chapter 1. We provide some context about Nehemiah, a cupbearer to King Artaxerxes, who learns about the dire state of Jerusalem after the Jewish people have returned from exile. The city is in ruins, and Nehemiah is deeply moved by this news, leading him to pray and seek permission from the king to return and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're listening to the Bible Guys, a podcast where a
couple of friends talk about the Bible in fun, in
practical ways. Well, good morning, good going, we talked through
good morning, good morning to you and you and you.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
You were born for this, yeah little jingle.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
You know.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
I can't believe that just became a thing. Yeah, I
don't know, it just it just somehow happened.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
I think that's only second to what made Chris Matt.
I don't know what made Chris mad is the top.
People literally wait on the edge of their.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Se You're just like Jeff. You're just like Jeff. You're
just like kind of puff me up. So hey, uh, well, hey,
good morning. We are the Bible guys. This is Wesley.
I'm Chris, and today we're your Bible guys. Because Jeff
is uh out there, uh actually traveling. Where's he at Mexico?
Speaker 2 (00:56):
He no, he well he was, he came back. Now
he's in Africa.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
Now he's in Africa. Yeah, Holy Christmas.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
That is just a short flight, you know, a couple
of hours.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Yeah, just a few yeah, yeah yeah. But he works
for also, uh for an organization called the Timothy Initiative,
which focuses on planting churches around the world that don't
know the gospel. Yeah, they focus on regions that have
never heard.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Yes, it's pretty unbelievable. Yeah, I think that that's amazing.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Yeah. So anyway, so this is two weeks in a
row that we have a guest. Uh. But that's okay
because Platinum Edition is is People's People's people Love Platum Edition.
So hey, today we have a segment that has a jingle.
Do you know the jingle with me? It's called mail
Bags and mail bags is where people are write in.
(01:44):
So if you have a question or something that you
want us to talk about, you can always email us
at info at the bible guys dot com, or you
can always just type in, like on a YouTube comment
page or any of your any of your devices.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Yeah, so you want you want to? It says what's
something you thought? And this is from Sarah Kay by
the way, So Sarah Kay, if you're watching, thank you
for this question. What's something you thought was totally normal
until someone told you it absolutely wasn't. Yes, do you
have anything for that? When I have a small.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
So many yes, so many?
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Yeah, yours, so mine is super small. The first thing
that comes to mine is ketchup.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
So when I first got married, Okay, don't judge me,
I just want to say this. When I grew up,
we put the ketchup just in the cabinet, in the
cupboard in the kitchen, after you opened it, after you
opened it. Yeah, we never put in the refrigerator. And
when I got married, my wife is like, what are
you doing? Are you trying to kill us? This is
going to a refrigerator.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
How are you trying? So good?
Speaker 2 (02:51):
But it's like, now, we always just put the mustard
in the ketchup, just in the cupboard. That's just what
we did. So yeah, I discovered that was not a
normal thing.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
No, no, after you open it, Yeah, because you can
put it in there before we end. Yes, So that
is so funny. So I got I got one for you.
So I grew up Italian. Uh well, I mean I'm
obviously I'm still Italian. Let me clear, Let me clear,
let me clear, let me clarify that statement. My dad's German,
(03:21):
my mom is Italian. There was zero German culture in
our family. The only culture was Italian. I no longer
uh am a part of that culture. In my normal
hushole so that makes sense that I said it you
up Italian because I'm still Italian.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Changed, but it was it was so.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Italian in Youngstown, Ohio, and it so is now, right,
I mean, just you know. Anyway, the point is is
that you know, it was always all Italian all the time.
So for consequently, all through the entire city of Youngstown,
for Christmas, people make Italian food, and so there's so
many Italian it's so normal to say, oh, would you
have for Christmas meal? Well, we have ravioli, we had
(04:04):
manicotti or no ki, whatever it is, right, Yeah, So
so that was just a normal thing. And then and
then I went to college and I remember being, you know,
in Missouri in the Midwest, and I remember somebody saying
something like, oh, yeah, for Christmas, we had like ham
and turkey. And I said, what are you talking about this?
I said, that's thanksgivving food. And they said, they said,
what do you eat for Christmas? And I said ravioli?
(04:28):
And they go what And I was like, doesn't everybody?
I was like, but it's because everybody I knew, all
my friends, that would be a normal thing, right and uh,
and not saying that everybody's Italian from Youngstown because that's
not true. But a lot of the Italians hang out
with Italians, So for for my group of people, it
certainly was right. So anyway, I just I thought it
(04:50):
was normal until it wasn't. Yeah, that is hilarious, But
I got a funny one too.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
It's very quick.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
My youth pastor used to sing very famous songs that
everybody else crossed the nation knows. You know, in my
little youth group growing up, we always have the same jingles, yea,
and most of them how you would sing with kids
ministry back then with high school ministry, That's what we
used to do. Like for instance, you ever heard the song,
oh you can't get to Heaven on roller skates? You
me hear that? No, I'd playing get to Heaven? Okay,
(05:19):
en roller skate? So you can't get to heaven on
roller skates? Oh you roll right past those pearly gates.
All my sins are washed away, Praise the Lord.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
No, I don't know that one.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
So anyway that in my group of church people, they
didn't sing that right. So anyway, for some reason, my
pastor used to take very popular songs and he would
change them how he saw that saying, and there would
just be a little bit of change, and so we
would would would know them, we would know all the songs,
but the rest of the world knew them like that,
(05:55):
they would know the normal way. So this song that
I just sang to you has on the third of course,
it goes, can't get to have an on there's a pause.
Can't get to have an on roller skates is a pause? Right?
For some reason, my pastor's saying, oh, you can't get
to heaven on roller skates. Oh, you can't get to
(06:15):
heaven on roller skates instead of on roller skate a
theatrical with it. Yeah, he's like roller skates. I don't
know why he's just changed it. And apparently I'm the
only human and the people in my church are the
only humans who know that song but know that version
of that song. So I met Baptist Baba College. We're
(06:36):
sitting around with a group of like two hundred people,
and he's like, hey, everybody know this one done? Done? Oh,
he's going for it, and he goes and you get
to that part he goes on roller and everybody pauses.
It's really quiet for a second, and I'm going on
roller skates and everybody looks at me like what is
God doing?
Speaker 2 (06:55):
What is he saying?
Speaker 1 (06:56):
Yeah? And by the way, I found doubt that. It's
like ten different songs. Yeah, I learned ten different like
major songs. Wrong.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
Yeah, it's like and it's like what and so oh
that's I'm singing them with people.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
I have to realize. I'm like, yeah, like he did
it again. He embarrassed me again.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Yeah, oh man, that's good.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
So changed there it is. So there's there's my thing.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
That's good.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
Yeah. That was super embarrassing, all right, and you know,
you know what else was embarrassing? What was that this
moment where Neamyah had to uh go before the king
and ask him this really dangerous thing there there we're
going there.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Say it worked, Yeah, it worked. We're reading Neamyah.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
Yeah, Nemiah, which, by the way, Neamayah is in a
lot of ways in a pretty obscure passage for a
lot of Christians. Yeah, right, I mean there's not a
ton of sermons on Nehemiah. There's not there's not a
ton of history. So if you don't know who Neiamiah is, uh,
he was a cup barrier to the king. Uh, just
to give you a little bit of context before Wesley reads, So,
(08:00):
like Babylon had taken over the world, right, remember the
story of Daniel, where where they had stolen all the
goods from the temple, and they had taken all the
princes and everything, and then they took people all the
way up to Babylon, and and and and and so
there was like this exile of the Jewish people and
and this and this whole captivity thing. Well, well it
was it was over. Everything was everything was over. And
(08:22):
and so they they had allowed people to go back
to Jerusalem in waves, and some people had gone back,
but they had discovered that Jerusalem was in ruins. In fact,
it was the city walls were down, it was unprotected,
and of course the city that's unprotected is open for siege.
And and and so these people who are trying to
rebuild their lives, uh, you know, we're talking like a
whole generation or so later, uh, you know, for them
(08:45):
trying to get their footing and their culture and their people.
And so Neamiyah was a Jew and and and he
was he was you know, uh, he knew and remembered
as a boy. Uh, you know, his his great city
and his father and his family and everything else. And
so now he's an older man and he has favor
working for the king as a cupbearer, and he's about
(09:07):
to learn something about Jerusalem, and he ends up basically
going to the king saying, will you please allow me
to go back and rebuild the walls around my city?
Will you please? Will you please allow me to do that?
And so that's the story of Nehemiah.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
Yeah, that's it. Yeah, let's dive in. That's Nehemiah chapter
one versus one through eleven. It says, in late autumn,
in the month of Kiss Lev in the twentieth year
of King Arta Xerx's reign, I was at the fortress
of Susa Hannah, and I one of my brothers came
to visit me with some other men who had just
(09:43):
arrived from Judah. I asked them about the Jews who
had returned there from captivity and about how things were
going in Jerusalem. They said to me, things are not
going well for those who return to the province of Judah.
They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of
Jerusalem has been torn down and the gates have been
destroyed by fire. When I heard this, I set down
(10:06):
and wept. In fact, four days I mourn, fasted and
pray to the God of Heaven. Then I said, O, Lord,
God of Heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps
his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him
and obey his commands, listen to my prayer. Look down
and see me praying night and day for your people Israel.
(10:28):
I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even
my own family and I have sinned. We have sinned
terribly by not obeying the commands, decrees, and regulations that
you gave us through your servant Moses. Please remember that
you told your servant Moses, if you are unfaithful to me,
I will scatter you among the nations. But if you
(10:50):
return to me and obey my commands and live by them,
then even if you are exiled to the ends of
the earth, I will bring you back to the place
I have chosen for my name to be honored. Verse ten.
The people you rescued by your great power in stronghand
are your servants. Oh Lord, please hear my prayer. Listen
to the prayers of those who listen to the prayers
(11:13):
of those of us who delight in honoring you. Please
grant me success today by making the King favorable to me.
Put it into his heart to be kind to me.
In those days, I was the king's cup bearer.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
So, first of all, what a great way to start
a chapter. Yeah right, I mean, just an unbelievable, you know,
epic setup to what is about to unfold. And if
you want to go back and read the rest of Nehemiah,
what a great story and what a great accomplishment that
God has done through Niemiah. Which, by the way, did
you know that the Wall of Neemiah is still there today?
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (11:48):
And they've uncovered this wall and honestly, it it looks
like children built it.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
It is not a work of architecture.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
Yeah it is.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
It is thrown together with like rocks and and and
and mortar and and and uh. And it does not
look flat or polished. It looks you know, it's like
it's like, how is this thing still standing?
Speaker 2 (12:08):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (12:08):
And it has to be that God wants to preserve
this unbelievable symbolism. You know what this represents. Yeah, this this,
you know, everything done in the Old Testament is a
model for us on how to behave or or it's
a foreshadowing of what God wants to do in our lives.
And so this, this, this importance of Neamia's wall that
(12:28):
he ended up building, uh in such a small amount
of time is a great accomplishment. But God still today
two thousand and seven hundred something years later. In fact,
I think it's even more than that, isn't that? Uh?
Neemiah is is a couple of thousand years old, isn't it?
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Uh?
Speaker 1 (12:46):
No, No, no, Isaiah namayah. Wait. I don't actually have
my SyRI on because because of uh, I want to
I don't want to buzz. Yeah, all right, I'm doing
this in the microphone. Hey, when was the Book of
Niamiah written?
Speaker 2 (13:06):
Here's an answer from bible hub dot.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
Com fourty five BC. So two thousand, four hundred years
ago ish? Right?
Speaker 2 (13:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
So and then that while still there is still there,
isn't that amazing? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (13:20):
Yeah, that's awesome. There are two things early on it
that I want to dissect a little bit as we
get into this. In verse five, it says, then I said, O, Lord,
God of Heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps
his covenant. And I like that line, right, there the
fact that God is a god who will do what
he said he will do. If God said he will
(13:42):
do it, we can take that to the bank. It's certain.
It's sure, doesn't matter what it looks like. There have
been times in the Old Testament where God it may
have told a group of people to take a village
or to take a town and they're like, well, God,
we're out numbered. If God told you to do it,
he will equip you to carry out what he told
(14:03):
you to do. So God is a god that will
keep his covenant. So when you're reading the Bible, keep
that in mind. I think that's super important to know
that if God promises us something in the Bible, he
will do what he said he would do. And that
gives me great confidence. But the other thing in there,
in verse six, it says, I confess that we have
sinned against you, And I absolutely love that. Pastor Kevin
(14:28):
here at Heritage Church where we both attend, he says,
when you mess up, fess up, and fess up fast.
Don't try to hide it. God saw you when you
did it, so there's no hiding it or trying to
put it away or no, that wasn't me. Yeah, everyone knew,
All of Heaven knows that it was.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
You.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Just fess up, come clean to God. And if you
confess your sins to him, he is just and faithful
to forgive you for your sins and cleanse you from
all unrighteousness. Yes, so I love that.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
That's great for Shohn one nine. Forget first that was
ever quoted to me, by the way, by my wife. Never. Nonetheless,
the uh, you know, it's it's some context to us
to that prayer as well. So the two things you
mentioned in that prayer that were awesome is the fact
the first thing that Neamia said was I want to
recognize God that you were God that keeps your covenant. Well,
think about the context, So Nea, excuse me. Neemyah is
(15:24):
among the group of people that were most likely very
discouraged because their whole people were exiled. We're talking people
were captured, kidnapped, slaughtered, killed, imprisoned, chained, I mean just
all these different wicked things.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
Yeah, they've lost everything, they've lost everything.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
And yet what Neiamiah is acknowledging is his responsibility. And
he's acknowledging that his people's responsibility because he's like he's
a God, he's like, yeah, our whole people. Some of
them are mad at you. Some of the are mad
that you know our lives are so terrible. But understand
that I'm recognizing you warned us, right, This is you
(16:03):
keeping your covenant. You said that if we dishonored you,
that we would be scattered among the nations. And guess
what you did. You kept your promises. And then he says,
we have sinned, and he's acknowledging his responsibility. And I
think that's important because he's the context is he's acknowledging
the fact that even his family have their part in
(16:23):
dishonoring God. Right, Like, he's responsible part in part for
the exile and the capturing of Jerusalem in the walls
being burned down. So when he hears that the city
walls are destroyed by fire, he's thinking, I did this.
These are consequences in part to my sin and my
family's sin. So he's like, God, even though that you
(16:43):
know I can complain, I could look at how bad
my life is. We can all do that. We have
to acknowledge our part in it. You warned us, we
didn't obey, So you're a covenant keeper. You did exactly
what you said, and guess what, I own my responsibility.
We are sorry for what we've done. And then what
does he do is he sort of capitalizes on God's faithfulness.
(17:05):
He capitalizes on then God's promises, and he says, God,
you said this, but God, guess what you also said this? Yes, right,
so you said this is a warning, but you also
said this is a promise. If we came back to you,
then you would be with us. Look at me, I'm
praying for my people. You see me, You see my
earnest prayer, you see my sincerity, my heart. I'm weeping
(17:28):
because I'm broken over this, and I am coming to
you and I'm asking you to keep your promises. And
so therefore, God, here's my request. And then he goes
to God with his request, right, ask the king to
be favorable to me. And what an unbelievable request. But
Niamiah backs it up with scripture and he reminds and
(17:50):
he reminds himself of God's promises.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Yeah, and I would say, Chris, that's super important and
it's very subtle. He had to know the promises to
the promise is up, that's right, which means that he
had to know the scriptures which is why it's so
important for us to read the Bible daily, to know
what those promises are, to know what God said he
(18:12):
would do, and to know what God said to avoid,
because it's yeh, it's good to know what blessings he
will give you, but it's also good to know what
to avoid, right, But you only get that from reading
God's word on a consistent basis.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
That's right. Yeah, I have a model that I've always
lived by. So my number one spiritual gift is faith,
which is odd for a skeptic. I'm a skeptic at heart,
but actually it's true when every time I take the
spiritual gifts tests. There's a spiritual gift test you can
take online. Yeah, actually several versions of it, but you
can google it and find a free one. But I
took a spiritual gift test actually on and off throughout
(18:46):
my whole life, and almost always faith is either number
one or number two. But it manifests itself in my
life during struggle. So like whenever I wrestle with something,
whenever I'm having a hard time with something, whenever it's
something very big is going through my life, faith just
rises to the top. And I have a lot of
(19:07):
faith and confidence. So God has given me that is
my gift. And sometimes it's hard when the struggle is small.
When it's bigger, faith seems to be more prominent when
it's smaller, I get caught in the weeds. And so
yesterday I was actually talking with someone on our staff,
and I was very discouraged and disappointed in some things.
(19:30):
And I always want to focus on my part whenever
I feel like God has called me to do anything.
I feel like if I've not done my very best,
then I feel like I've let God down, right, And
so I was talking about you know, it doesn't matter,
but I was just talking about how I feel like
I have not done my best and these are mistakes
(19:50):
that were avoidable, and these are mistakes that should not
have been made. And I was a part of it.
And the person I was talking to, I said, he
was a part of it, and we were all a
part of it and we should have done better and
and God asked us to do this and we didn't
do our part, you know, And I was just super discouraged,
and I'm like, what are we gonna do? What are
we gonna do? You know, And just like you said,
you have to know the promises, right, You have to
(20:12):
know the promises. So last night I went home and
I'm praying. I'm like, okay, God, like okay. I vented.
I had some discouraging moments and say, okay, God, let's
let's pray through this. And God reminded me of all
the promises that I already know. And through the years
I have formulated a motto from these promises, and I
(20:33):
love this motto. And so I texted to him this
morning and I said, hey, God reminded me, and I said,
I said, here's my motto. God is bigger then, not
surprised by, and in control of all circumstances. Right. And
so you take it. You take all those promises and
lump them in the big bull of stew Right. You
(20:54):
can you can call that pot that God is. God
is bigger than, not surprised by, and in control of
all circumstances.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
Right.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
So think about how that applies to your life.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
And that's good, Chris, because I think sometimes because we're
surprised by it, whatever it is for the listeners, we
think that it caught God off guard. I didn't catch
him off guard. He's God, He's all knowing.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
One of my best friends made fun of me one
time when I was worried about something, and he goes, Chris,
do you actually think God's on the throne, going oh no, yeah,
oh no, I didn't expect this. How I'm going to
get out of this?
Speaker 3 (21:30):
Like, oh man, how did that happen? And I don't
know what I'm gonna do? Yeah to fix it?
Speaker 1 (21:34):
Yeah, It's like I always laugh when I think about that,
and since then he's passed away, he's in heaven laughing
with me now. But but yeah, think about how that
applies to your life. God is bigger than not surprised
by an in control of all circumstances, So which means
bigger than means means your problem is not bigger than
God's ability to solve it. Yeah, right, not surprised by
(21:56):
it means he's not on the throne worried like you are,
and it's not like he's trying to figure out a
solution in the same way that you are. And and
then in control of means that God can and is
able and in a lot of cases wants to do
great things to fix these things. If we just align
with his will, go to him, trust him, depend on him,
(22:18):
lean on him, and eventually you got to get to
the point to where you open your hands and say, okay, God,
that's it. I recognize at this point, regardless of how
we got here, which you know, again, I can talk
about my part, my ability or inability to do you know,
what I should do or didn't do, what I didn't do,
all that. You know, you can talk about that all day.
(22:39):
But the reality is, in every circumstance of our lives,
we have to recognize only God can do what God's
going to do. Right, so only like only God. I
can't manufacture you know, hearts being changed as a pastor,
neither can you. You can't manufacture mirrors, you can't manufacture
(23:02):
you know, blessings and in great things. None of us
are in charge of any of that.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
Yeah, that's God's side of the fence. That's his job responsibility.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
Yes, yeah, and so and so you just sort of
you're reminded and you say, Okay, God, remind me, this
is this is all you and it has been the
whole time anyway. Yeah, right, I mean, I'm doing my
part only because you asked me to. But but in
the end, you're you're you're in control. So anyway, it's
a great reminder for alls.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Yeah. And I would say if we could leave the
listeners with a challenge, I challenge everyone watching just to
take five minutes, five minutes per day reading God's word
and start in the New Testament. Start with the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke,
and John.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
Yeah. I would even I would even go further and
say start with John. Yeah, start with John and move
your way forward.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
Yeah. Yeah, And that's a great place to dive in
to begin to soak in God's word and get his
word on the inside in your heart.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
Yeah, that's right, that's great. Hey, that's it's a great
place to end. That's our time and hopefully we'll see
you again on the Bible guys. H
You're listening to the Bible Guys, a podcast where a
couple of friends talk about the Bible in fun, in
practical ways. Well, good morning, good going, we talked through
good morning, good morning to you and you and you.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
You were born for this, yeah little jingle.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
You know.
Speaker 1 (00:25):
I can't believe that just became a thing. Yeah, I
don't know, it just it just somehow happened.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
I think that's only second to what made Chris Matt.
I don't know what made Chris mad is the top.
People literally wait on the edge of their.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Se You're just like Jeff. You're just like Jeff. You're
just like kind of puff me up. So hey, uh, well, hey,
good morning. We are the Bible guys. This is Wesley.
I'm Chris, and today we're your Bible guys. Because Jeff
is uh out there, uh actually traveling. Where's he at Mexico?
Speaker 2 (00:56):
He no, he well he was, he came back. Now
he's in Africa.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
Now he's in Africa. Yeah, Holy Christmas.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
That is just a short flight, you know, a couple
of hours.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
Yeah, just a few yeah, yeah yeah. But he works
for also, uh for an organization called the Timothy Initiative,
which focuses on planting churches around the world that don't
know the gospel. Yeah, they focus on regions that have
never heard.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Yes, it's pretty unbelievable. Yeah, I think that that's amazing.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Yeah. So anyway, so this is two weeks in a
row that we have a guest. Uh. But that's okay
because Platinum Edition is is People's People's people Love Platum Edition.
So hey, today we have a segment that has a jingle.
Do you know the jingle with me? It's called mail
Bags and mail bags is where people are write in.
(01:44):
So if you have a question or something that you
want us to talk about, you can always email us
at info at the bible guys dot com, or you
can always just type in, like on a YouTube comment
page or any of your any of your devices.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
Yeah, so you want you want to? It says what's
something you thought? And this is from Sarah Kay by
the way, So Sarah Kay, if you're watching, thank you
for this question. What's something you thought was totally normal
until someone told you it absolutely wasn't. Yes, do you
have anything for that? When I have a small.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
So many yes, so many?
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Yeah, yours, so mine is super small. The first thing
that comes to mine is ketchup.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:26):
So when I first got married, Okay, don't judge me,
I just want to say this. When I grew up,
we put the ketchup just in the cabinet, in the
cupboard in the kitchen, after you opened it, after you
opened it. Yeah, we never put in the refrigerator. And
when I got married, my wife is like, what are
you doing? Are you trying to kill us? This is
going to a refrigerator.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
How are you trying? So good?
Speaker 2 (02:51):
But it's like, now, we always just put the mustard
in the ketchup, just in the cupboard. That's just what
we did. So yeah, I discovered that was not a
normal thing.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
No, no, after you open it, Yeah, because you can
put it in there before we end. Yes, So that
is so funny. So I got I got one for you.
So I grew up Italian. Uh well, I mean I'm
obviously I'm still Italian. Let me clear, Let me clear,
let me clear, let me clarify that statement. My dad's German,
(03:21):
my mom is Italian. There was zero German culture in
our family. The only culture was Italian. I no longer
uh am a part of that culture. In my normal
hushole so that makes sense that I said it you
up Italian because I'm still Italian.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Changed, but it was it was so.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Italian in Youngstown, Ohio, and it so is now, right,
I mean, just you know. Anyway, the point is is
that you know, it was always all Italian all the time.
So for consequently, all through the entire city of Youngstown,
for Christmas, people make Italian food, and so there's so
many Italian it's so normal to say, oh, would you
have for Christmas meal? Well, we have ravioli, we had
(04:04):
manicotti or no ki, whatever it is, right, Yeah, So
so that was just a normal thing. And then and
then I went to college and I remember being, you know,
in Missouri in the Midwest, and I remember somebody saying
something like, oh, yeah, for Christmas, we had like ham
and turkey. And I said, what are you talking about this?
I said, that's thanksgivving food. And they said, they said,
what do you eat for Christmas? And I said ravioli?
(04:28):
And they go what And I was like, doesn't everybody?
I was like, but it's because everybody I knew, all
my friends, that would be a normal thing, right and uh,
and not saying that everybody's Italian from Youngstown because that's
not true. But a lot of the Italians hang out
with Italians, So for for my group of people, it
certainly was right. So anyway, I just I thought it
(04:50):
was normal until it wasn't. Yeah, that is hilarious, But
I got a funny one too.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
It's very quick.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
My youth pastor used to sing very famous songs that
everybody else crossed the nation knows. You know, in my
little youth group growing up, we always have the same jingles, yea,
and most of them how you would sing with kids
ministry back then with high school ministry, That's what we
used to do. Like for instance, you ever heard the song,
oh you can't get to Heaven on roller skates? You
me hear that? No, I'd playing get to Heaven? Okay,
(05:19):
en roller skate? So you can't get to heaven on
roller skates? Oh you roll right past those pearly gates.
All my sins are washed away, Praise the Lord.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
No, I don't know that one.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
So anyway that in my group of church people, they
didn't sing that right. So anyway, for some reason, my
pastor used to take very popular songs and he would
change them how he saw that saying, and there would
just be a little bit of change, and so we
would would would know them, we would know all the songs,
but the rest of the world knew them like that,
(05:55):
they would know the normal way. So this song that
I just sang to you has on the third of course,
it goes, can't get to have an on there's a pause.
Can't get to have an on roller skates is a pause? Right?
For some reason, my pastor's saying, oh, you can't get
to heaven on roller skates. Oh, you can't get to
(06:15):
heaven on roller skates instead of on roller skate a
theatrical with it. Yeah, he's like roller skates. I don't
know why he's just changed it. And apparently I'm the
only human and the people in my church are the
only humans who know that song but know that version
of that song. So I met Baptist Baba College. We're
(06:36):
sitting around with a group of like two hundred people,
and he's like, hey, everybody know this one done? Done? Oh,
he's going for it, and he goes and you get
to that part he goes on roller and everybody pauses.
It's really quiet for a second, and I'm going on
roller skates and everybody looks at me like what is
God doing?
Speaker 2 (06:55):
What is he saying?
Speaker 1 (06:56):
Yeah? And by the way, I found doubt that. It's
like ten different songs. Yeah, I learned ten different like
major songs. Wrong.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
Yeah, it's like and it's like what and so oh
that's I'm singing them with people.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
I have to realize. I'm like, yeah, like he did
it again. He embarrassed me again.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Yeah, oh man, that's good.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
So changed there it is. So there's there's my thing.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
That's good.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
Yeah. That was super embarrassing, all right, and you know,
you know what else was embarrassing? What was that this
moment where Neamyah had to uh go before the king
and ask him this really dangerous thing there there we're
going there.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Say it worked, Yeah, it worked. We're reading Neamyah.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
Yeah, Nemiah, which, by the way, Neamayah is in a
lot of ways in a pretty obscure passage for a
lot of Christians. Yeah, right, I mean there's not a
ton of sermons on Nehemiah. There's not there's not a
ton of history. So if you don't know who Neiamiah is, uh,
he was a cup barrier to the king. Uh, just
to give you a little bit of context before Wesley reads, So,
(08:00):
like Babylon had taken over the world, right, remember the
story of Daniel, where where they had stolen all the
goods from the temple, and they had taken all the
princes and everything, and then they took people all the
way up to Babylon, and and and and and so
there was like this exile of the Jewish people and
and this and this whole captivity thing. Well, well it
was it was over. Everything was everything was over. And
(08:22):
and so they they had allowed people to go back
to Jerusalem in waves, and some people had gone back,
but they had discovered that Jerusalem was in ruins. In fact,
it was the city walls were down, it was unprotected,
and of course the city that's unprotected is open for siege.
And and and so these people who are trying to
rebuild their lives, uh, you know, we're talking like a
whole generation or so later, uh, you know, for them
(08:45):
trying to get their footing and their culture and their people.
And so Neamiyah was a Jew and and and he
was he was you know, uh, he knew and remembered
as a boy. Uh, you know, his his great city
and his father and his family and everything else. And
so now he's an older man and he has favor
working for the king as a cupbearer, and he's about
(09:07):
to learn something about Jerusalem, and he ends up basically
going to the king saying, will you please allow me
to go back and rebuild the walls around my city?
Will you please? Will you please allow me to do that?
And so that's the story of Nehemiah.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
Yeah, that's it. Yeah, let's dive in. That's Nehemiah chapter
one versus one through eleven. It says, in late autumn,
in the month of Kiss Lev in the twentieth year
of King Arta Xerx's reign, I was at the fortress
of Susa Hannah, and I one of my brothers came
to visit me with some other men who had just
(09:43):
arrived from Judah. I asked them about the Jews who
had returned there from captivity and about how things were
going in Jerusalem. They said to me, things are not
going well for those who return to the province of Judah.
They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of
Jerusalem has been torn down and the gates have been
destroyed by fire. When I heard this, I set down
(10:06):
and wept. In fact, four days I mourn, fasted and
pray to the God of Heaven. Then I said, O, Lord,
God of Heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps
his covenant of unfailing love with those who love him
and obey his commands, listen to my prayer. Look down
and see me praying night and day for your people Israel.
(10:28):
I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even
my own family and I have sinned. We have sinned
terribly by not obeying the commands, decrees, and regulations that
you gave us through your servant Moses. Please remember that
you told your servant Moses, if you are unfaithful to me,
I will scatter you among the nations. But if you
(10:50):
return to me and obey my commands and live by them,
then even if you are exiled to the ends of
the earth, I will bring you back to the place
I have chosen for my name to be honored. Verse ten.
The people you rescued by your great power in stronghand
are your servants. Oh Lord, please hear my prayer. Listen
to the prayers of those who listen to the prayers
(11:13):
of those of us who delight in honoring you. Please
grant me success today by making the King favorable to me.
Put it into his heart to be kind to me.
In those days, I was the king's cup bearer.
Speaker 1 (11:27):
So, first of all, what a great way to start
a chapter. Yeah right, I mean, just an unbelievable, you know,
epic setup to what is about to unfold. And if
you want to go back and read the rest of Nehemiah,
what a great story and what a great accomplishment that
God has done through Niemiah. Which, by the way, did
you know that the Wall of Neemiah is still there today?
Speaker 2 (11:48):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (11:48):
And they've uncovered this wall and honestly, it it looks
like children built it.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
It is not a work of architecture.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
Yeah it is.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
It is thrown together with like rocks and and and
and mortar and and and uh. And it does not
look flat or polished. It looks you know, it's like
it's like, how is this thing still standing?
Speaker 2 (12:08):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (12:08):
And it has to be that God wants to preserve
this unbelievable symbolism. You know what this represents. Yeah, this this,
you know, everything done in the Old Testament is a
model for us on how to behave or or it's
a foreshadowing of what God wants to do in our lives.
And so this, this, this importance of Neamia's wall that
(12:28):
he ended up building, uh in such a small amount
of time is a great accomplishment. But God still today
two thousand and seven hundred something years later. In fact,
I think it's even more than that, isn't that? Uh?
Neemiah is is a couple of thousand years old, isn't it?
Speaker 2 (12:45):
Uh?
Speaker 1 (12:46):
No, No, no, Isaiah namayah. Wait. I don't actually have
my SyRI on because because of uh, I want to
I don't want to buzz. Yeah, all right, I'm doing
this in the microphone. Hey, when was the Book of
Niamiah written?
Speaker 2 (13:06):
Here's an answer from bible hub dot.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
Com fourty five BC. So two thousand, four hundred years
ago ish? Right?
Speaker 2 (13:15):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
So and then that while still there is still there,
isn't that amazing? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (13:20):
Yeah, that's awesome. There are two things early on it
that I want to dissect a little bit as we
get into this. In verse five, it says, then I said, O, Lord,
God of Heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps
his covenant. And I like that line, right, there the
fact that God is a god who will do what
he said he will do. If God said he will
(13:42):
do it, we can take that to the bank. It's certain.
It's sure, doesn't matter what it looks like. There have
been times in the Old Testament where God it may
have told a group of people to take a village
or to take a town and they're like, well, God,
we're out numbered. If God told you to do it,
he will equip you to carry out what he told
(14:03):
you to do. So God is a god that will
keep his covenant. So when you're reading the Bible, keep
that in mind. I think that's super important to know
that if God promises us something in the Bible, he
will do what he said he would do. And that
gives me great confidence. But the other thing in there,
in verse six, it says, I confess that we have
sinned against you, And I absolutely love that. Pastor Kevin
(14:28):
here at Heritage Church where we both attend, he says,
when you mess up, fess up, and fess up fast.
Don't try to hide it. God saw you when you
did it, so there's no hiding it or trying to
put it away or no, that wasn't me. Yeah, everyone knew,
All of Heaven knows that it was.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
You.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Just fess up, come clean to God. And if you
confess your sins to him, he is just and faithful
to forgive you for your sins and cleanse you from
all unrighteousness. Yes, so I love that.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
That's great for Shohn one nine. Forget first that was
ever quoted to me, by the way, by my wife. Never. Nonetheless,
the uh, you know, it's it's some context to us
to that prayer as well. So the two things you
mentioned in that prayer that were awesome is the fact
the first thing that Neamia said was I want to
recognize God that you were God that keeps your covenant. Well,
think about the context, So Nea, excuse me. Neemyah is
(15:24):
among the group of people that were most likely very
discouraged because their whole people were exiled. We're talking people
were captured, kidnapped, slaughtered, killed, imprisoned, chained, I mean just
all these different wicked things.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
Yeah, they've lost everything, they've lost everything.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
And yet what Neiamiah is acknowledging is his responsibility. And
he's acknowledging that his people's responsibility because he's like he's
a God, he's like, yeah, our whole people. Some of
them are mad at you. Some of the are mad
that you know our lives are so terrible. But understand
that I'm recognizing you warned us, right, This is you
(16:03):
keeping your covenant. You said that if we dishonored you,
that we would be scattered among the nations. And guess
what you did. You kept your promises. And then he says,
we have sinned, and he's acknowledging his responsibility. And I
think that's important because he's the context is he's acknowledging
the fact that even his family have their part in
(16:23):
dishonoring God. Right, Like, he's responsible part in part for
the exile and the capturing of Jerusalem in the walls
being burned down. So when he hears that the city
walls are destroyed by fire, he's thinking, I did this.
These are consequences in part to my sin and my
family's sin. So he's like, God, even though that you
(16:43):
know I can complain, I could look at how bad
my life is. We can all do that. We have
to acknowledge our part in it. You warned us, we
didn't obey, So you're a covenant keeper. You did exactly
what you said, and guess what, I own my responsibility.
We are sorry for what we've done. And then what
does he do is he sort of capitalizes on God's faithfulness.
(17:05):
He capitalizes on then God's promises, and he says, God,
you said this, but God, guess what you also said this? Yes, right,
so you said this is a warning, but you also
said this is a promise. If we came back to you,
then you would be with us. Look at me, I'm
praying for my people. You see me, You see my
earnest prayer, you see my sincerity, my heart. I'm weeping
(17:28):
because I'm broken over this, and I am coming to
you and I'm asking you to keep your promises. And
so therefore, God, here's my request. And then he goes
to God with his request, right, ask the king to
be favorable to me. And what an unbelievable request. But
Niamiah backs it up with scripture and he reminds and
(17:50):
he reminds himself of God's promises.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Yeah, and I would say, Chris, that's super important and
it's very subtle. He had to know the promises to
the promise is up, that's right, which means that he
had to know the scriptures which is why it's so
important for us to read the Bible daily, to know
what those promises are, to know what God said he
(18:12):
would do, and to know what God said to avoid,
because it's yeh, it's good to know what blessings he
will give you, but it's also good to know what
to avoid, right, But you only get that from reading
God's word on a consistent basis.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
That's right. Yeah, I have a model that I've always
lived by. So my number one spiritual gift is faith,
which is odd for a skeptic. I'm a skeptic at heart,
but actually it's true when every time I take the
spiritual gifts tests. There's a spiritual gift test you can
take online. Yeah, actually several versions of it, but you
can google it and find a free one. But I
took a spiritual gift test actually on and off throughout
(18:46):
my whole life, and almost always faith is either number
one or number two. But it manifests itself in my
life during struggle. So like whenever I wrestle with something,
whenever I'm having a hard time with something, whenever it's
something very big is going through my life, faith just
rises to the top. And I have a lot of
(19:07):
faith and confidence. So God has given me that is
my gift. And sometimes it's hard when the struggle is small.
When it's bigger, faith seems to be more prominent when
it's smaller, I get caught in the weeds. And so
yesterday I was actually talking with someone on our staff,
and I was very discouraged and disappointed in some things.
(19:30):
And I always want to focus on my part whenever
I feel like God has called me to do anything.
I feel like if I've not done my very best,
then I feel like I've let God down, right, And
so I was talking about you know, it doesn't matter,
but I was just talking about how I feel like
I have not done my best and these are mistakes
(19:50):
that were avoidable, and these are mistakes that should not
have been made. And I was a part of it.
And the person I was talking to, I said, he
was a part of it, and we were all a
part of it and we should have done better and
and God asked us to do this and we didn't
do our part, you know, And I was just super discouraged,
and I'm like, what are we gonna do? What are
we gonna do? You know, And just like you said,
you have to know the promises, right, You have to
(20:12):
know the promises. So last night I went home and
I'm praying. I'm like, okay, God, like okay. I vented.
I had some discouraging moments and say, okay, God, let's
let's pray through this. And God reminded me of all
the promises that I already know. And through the years
I have formulated a motto from these promises, and I
(20:33):
love this motto. And so I texted to him this
morning and I said, hey, God reminded me, and I said,
I said, here's my motto. God is bigger then, not
surprised by, and in control of all circumstances. Right. And
so you take it. You take all those promises and
lump them in the big bull of stew Right. You
(20:54):
can you can call that pot that God is. God
is bigger than, not surprised by, and in control of
all circumstances.
Speaker 2 (21:03):
Right.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
So think about how that applies to your life.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
And that's good, Chris, because I think sometimes because we're
surprised by it, whatever it is for the listeners, we
think that it caught God off guard. I didn't catch
him off guard. He's God, He's all knowing.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
One of my best friends made fun of me one
time when I was worried about something, and he goes, Chris,
do you actually think God's on the throne, going oh no, yeah,
oh no, I didn't expect this. How I'm going to
get out of this?
Speaker 3 (21:30):
Like, oh man, how did that happen? And I don't
know what I'm gonna do? Yeah to fix it?
Speaker 1 (21:34):
Yeah, It's like I always laugh when I think about that,
and since then he's passed away, he's in heaven laughing
with me now. But but yeah, think about how that
applies to your life. God is bigger than not surprised
by an in control of all circumstances, So which means
bigger than means means your problem is not bigger than
God's ability to solve it. Yeah, right, not surprised by
(21:56):
it means he's not on the throne worried like you are,
and it's not like he's trying to figure out a
solution in the same way that you are. And and
then in control of means that God can and is
able and in a lot of cases wants to do
great things to fix these things. If we just align
with his will, go to him, trust him, depend on him,
(22:18):
lean on him, and eventually you got to get to
the point to where you open your hands and say, okay, God,
that's it. I recognize at this point, regardless of how
we got here, which you know, again, I can talk
about my part, my ability or inability to do you know,
what I should do or didn't do, what I didn't do,
all that. You know, you can talk about that all day.
(22:39):
But the reality is, in every circumstance of our lives,
we have to recognize only God can do what God's
going to do. Right, so only like only God. I
can't manufacture you know, hearts being changed as a pastor,
neither can you. You can't manufacture mirrors, you can't manufacture
(23:02):
you know, blessings and in great things. None of us
are in charge of any of that.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
Yeah, that's God's side of the fence. That's his job responsibility.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
Yes, yeah, and so and so you just sort of
you're reminded and you say, Okay, God, remind me, this
is this is all you and it has been the
whole time anyway. Yeah, right, I mean, I'm doing my
part only because you asked me to. But but in
the end, you're you're you're in control. So anyway, it's
a great reminder for alls.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Yeah. And I would say if we could leave the
listeners with a challenge, I challenge everyone watching just to
take five minutes, five minutes per day reading God's word
and start in the New Testament. Start with the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke,
and John.
Speaker 1 (23:44):
Yeah. I would even I would even go further and
say start with John. Yeah, start with John and move
your way forward.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
Yeah. Yeah, And that's a great place to dive in
to begin to soak in God's word and get his
word on the inside in your heart.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
Yeah, that's right, that's great. Hey, that's it's a great
place to end. That's our time and hopefully we'll see
you again on the Bible guys. H
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