Zeal

Nehemiah was a very zealous man for Jerusalem in a way that can be referred to now as patriotic. News of the pedicament of the city bothered him so much, he took it upon himself to implement change and redress the situation. He did so much in zeal -


1. Canvas the prominent ruler of his time for favour with regards to Jerusalem.

2. Mobilise and organise people to return to Jerusalem with him from Babylon - these also helped retrieve essential building material (timber) needed for the work of restoration in Jerusalem. No mean feat if we consider the different scenarios that could have arisen in transit and not explicitly mentioned in the text of the book of Nehemiah.

3. Put up with local opposition when he reached Jerusalem, particularly from 3 influential rulers at the time.

4. Formed a strategy to carry out the restoration work and led the team to do the work, he was also creative throughout and averted confrontation/accusation while outwitting opponents against his work.

5. Resolved amicably socio-economic problems that threathened the completion of his work partly with regards to slavery and also wealth assignment. He even deprived himself of his entitlement as a govenor for 12 years to this done.

6. Worked to implement reforms for communal living through persuasion, comfort, legislation and promugation of the Word.


Without doubt Nehemiah was a highly successful and skilled man - Ezra faced strong opposition to a similar work he attempted to perform (rebuild the temple) and was inhibited but not so Nehemiah. Nehemiah demonstrated great zeal, leadership & organisation skills in rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem.

Nehemiah did alot based on his abilities - he put much of what he had into service of God. He did alot without an explicit mandate/ directive to do what he did - there's is no record of God speaking directly to Nehemiah in the book of Nehemiah.

But Nehemiah was undeterred and he worked consistently for a long time. There was however another man from a different generation to Nehemiah - he also was zealous but he acted differently to Nehemiah.

Daniel prayed often and committed issues to God - Daniel received mandates and directives from God after he started praying (not before) that concerned not just the present time but also the future. Daniel possessed an excellent spirit and could have added value by expending himself but prayed instead.

Both lives serve as a comparism for choice of decision - which is better? To pray or act in zeal?? Who left a more lasting legacy??

Love: The Cure

So many great Love stories in the Bible from the old testament - Issac/ Rebekah (love at first sight), Jacob/ Rachel (sacrificial love), Moses/ Zipporah (love, commitment & devotion in spite of racial differences), Samson/ Delilah (blind love / infatuation), Elkanah/ Hannah (love in spite of rivalry and lack of progress), Nabal/ Abigail (love between a stunning and understanding female and a rich irrational male) to mention but a few.

Then comes Christ and gives a totally new commandment –Love!! Love remains the sole/ singular cure for humanity’s ills. There are no problems faced by humanity (individually and/or collectively) that cannot be solved by Love. It’s the perfect recipe prescribed by God – without flaw and encapsulating all God is. He doesn’t have Love but rather is Love itself. The commandment to Love is a call to be God.

By commanding men to Love, God is literally instructing men to solve their problems and essentially by becoming like Him. He gives the power and enablement but critically it is up to men what they do. Men can do all things according to the power of God that works in them. Heaven waits for men to act while men wait for heaven to act!! God's Love requirement is different from what men have experienced previously - few walk in it even presently.

A strong divergence exists between the requirements of God and man’s perception – this is no different from Love. Infact, Christ commanding Love only further emphasises that men have not been working in this commandment previously. He (Christ) never instructed men on exactly what Love or loving means. Men love by seeking to love and continue in this commandment. There is no end to it and it’s a progressive walk – Love grows and cannot stay stagnant!!

There isn’t a generic way to love – in fact, we would all get it wrong at certain times but the perfect Law of Love makes redemption for us all. Love covers a multitude of sins and no matter how many times we may miss the mark in following Love, if we undertake to keep loving then past errors would serve as stepping stones not stumbling blocks.

Love and hate cannot live in the same heart though – it’s not possible to Love God and hate men nor vice versa. The very same way men are to each other is exactly how they are to God – it’s not possible for there to be a difference.

There are hindrances to love and the fruits of the Spirit make an easy passage for Love. As the fruits of the Holy Spirit increase in an individual, then the individual is more able to Love God’s way. Love for God is not solely in passion or an ambient feeling but rather a yield to His Spirit – as men yield they bear more of the fruits of the Spirit. The converse is also true.

There however is one sin Love cannot cure – a rejection of Love itself. It is possible to know Love and reject it or never to accept Love – either way, if Love is rejected then death is irrevocably chosen.

There’s a cure for humanity and it’s Love. To the degree that men Love, so are they cured.

Genesis 24:67, Genesis 29: 9 – 28, Numbers 12:1, Exodus 4: 25 – 26, Judges 16: 4, 1Samuel 1:5, 1 Samuel 25: 3, John 13: 34, John 15: 1 – 8, Colossians 3: 12 – 14, 1 John 5: 16 – 17, Ephesians 3: 20

Healing for Him

Genesis 3:17-19…… And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

Very popular verse and equally popular interpretation for many Christians.
(Male and female) man had departed from God’s initial order and had become like Celestial beings in their knowledge of good and evil. A choice for either subsequently needed to be taken and the choice determined life existence (or the lack thereof).

In order to help man choose rightly… righteous judgement was pronounced by God on both the male and female man. For the male man, it was the loss of authority over the earth and a subjection to it rather than rule. For female man it was a subjection to (a fallen) male and this through fear (please see Healing for Her).

By pronouncing a judgement of subjection for the male and female man, a work of redemption could earnestly commence for both genders/ all humaity. While the female was subjected to greater fear through righteous judgement, the male wasn’t. However, the male man (as the appointed ruler for fallen men – male and female) was subjected to propensity for greater evil desire that limited his ability to assume both ruler of the female and the earth.

Although the judgement of the male man being ruled over was not fully revealed in the life of Adam, it was in subsequent generations that followed him.

Genesis 4:7…… If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

Strong warning was given to Cain (Adam’s offspring) to rule over the desire upon which sin is based but he didn’t heed this. His disobedience and manifest judgement became a legacy for subsequent generations.

2 Peter 1: 4……. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Evil desires/ lust precedes sin and sin ensnares so that all that sin are slave to sin and subsequently death.

Romans 6: 16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

James 1 :15…….. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

Clearly, the male man was subjected to his fate of subjection but a remedy exists!

Romans 8: 20- 21 ……For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

2 Peter 1 : 4…..Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The Cure

First… think long and hard about Christ. Pray as well and come to a decision what to do with regards to Him. I advice to accept Him and His doctrine. Besides accepting Him and His doctrine, it is important to bear the fruits of His Spirit to retain Him and His doctrine in your Life.

As the fruits of His Spirit are borne increasingly, we become better positioned to know Him and this is where Life/ redemption for the male man is.

John 17: 3…….And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

We also find a transformation as we see Him for who He truly is personally (not a derived/ taught knowledge), i.e behold Him face to face. Crucially, Christ dwells in the Light and fellowship with Him requires openness that includes male man’s strengths and weaknesses. The more submitted the male man becomes to Christ and knowing Him…. The less evil desires/lust has over him and Christ’s redemption is made more manifest.

The more the male man refuses Christ… the more evil desires ensnare the male man and crucially females that have been subjected to His rule. With the redemption of the male man and female man….. equality is also restored so that in Christ there is neither male of females but rather service to Him.

Galatians 5: 22 – 23 ……But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

John 15: 4 – 6 ……Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

1 John 7 – 9 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

2 Corinthians 3 :18…..But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

1 Corinthians 11:11….. Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.

Healing for Her

Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee…. Genesis 3:16

With this statement, known convention for females was defined. Though man (male & female) had fallen… God had a plan for redemption and He effected it straightaway.

For the female the effect of man’s fall would make her fear much greater than the male thereby making it harder for her to be spiritually fruitful. Love holds all spiritual fruitfulness together and the opposite of Love is fear. The greater propensity to fear a person has, the harder it is to bear spiritual fruits, so the reference to child bearing isn’t literal only.

In “Fall to Rise”, we discuss fear’s role in man’s fall from God’s intended order.

Fear in females breeds inadequacy/insecurity – so much so that reactive stance is preferred to a proactive stance when confronted with most unfamiliar situations. Man’s fall causes females generally to have an innate fear of taking the lead in situations they are unfamiliar with – so she who was created to rule no longer is capable and this because of fear.

and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee ….. The male man did not receive the same judgment as the female and wasn’t subjected to fear of the same proportion as the female (See Blog Healing for him for more info). The lack of fear in the male man therefore presents him with leadership role in relationships/associations/liaisons between both genders.

For the male to rule over the female isn’t the initial intended order although it exists as the status quo/ convention in the earth. A consequence of females’ greater fear is a desire for a husband that is not compensated for by an equivalent desire from the male. Union with a husband is seen by females as progressive and resolving for the loneliness/inadequacy inevitably brought on by fear and it’s associate -guarded caution.

Such union creates opportunities for expression (building a home, raising children etc) that otherwise would be exempt. Also such union prevents the unevied position of being destitute bound by fear. So great is the fear females have that though having a husband is an unrivalled desire, fear prevent proactively seeking this… females rather wait and adopt a reactive stance than seek out husband (amongst other reasons) for fear.

The Cure

Perfect Love always cast out fear and remains the singular cure for fear females have. There is a lot to be said about Love and appropriating it correctly to lose fear, so may the Lord guide us. Suffice to say that Love yields fruits, is found in the light and absent of uncleanliness (Love is holy).


But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law…… Galatians 5:22-23

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness……Colossians 3:12-14

Notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing (bearing spiritual fruits), if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety. 1 Timothy 2:15

Fall to Rise

And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. …… Genesis 3:10

The fall of (male and female) man from the intended order introduced the following almost immediately:

1. Fear
2. Self Consciousness
3. Insecurity/ Inadequacy
4. Furtiveness

Though seeming harmless, each (and their combination) are very potent proponents of evil. They also work together and support each other – Fear is the opposite of Love and perfect Love casts out fear (they do not co exist, though it is claimed we should Love and Fear God – for brevity we would not discourse on this now).

Fear comes from self centred focus…. Humans fear what is perceived as a threat to our self interest, whereas Love comes from self denial for Love does not seek it’s own/ isn’t selfish.

Fear is supported by self consciousness so that the more focused on self a person is rather than the Master, the more fear the person walks in. With fear and self consciousness also comes the feeling of insecurity/inadequacy. Crucially, fear, self consciousness and insecurity always lead to furtiveness as an attempt to compensate.

All four effects come from furtiveness and work to produce the same in it’s victim. The Devil hides his initial intentions with the express purpose that others become like him – furtive!!

God is Light and fellowship with Him requires complete exposure… it’s self deception to claim to walk with God and be furtive. This is why the world has laid in darkness….. men have not walked in complete exposure but have hidden. The more men (male & female) hide, the greater power and authority evil retains over us.

However, as men (male & female) walk in complete exposure… the greater power & authority good has over us. Also, we have greater fellowship with God…… a prerequisite for good fellowship with our fellow men (male & female).

Telling God explicitly our dirtiest thoughts, imaginations, dreams, feelings etc and leaving nothing out is part of walking in complete exposure. This is very important to walking in the Light and in fellowship with God.

As we do…we find that the parts of us we bring to the open before Him become weaker and less controlling. Interestingly, God already knows these things and our actions serve us benefit rather than Him. He doesn’t change and requires men change to get back to His initial intended order.

The fall drew men into darkness/furtiveness through fear, self centredness and insecurity but redemption comes as men walk in His Light – and this grace of freedom is given by the Lord. There are effects/fruits of walking in darkness and there are also those of walking in the Light.

Prior to the fall... when knew only good but the fall brought a knowledge of both good and evil. We must now choose good and reject evil.....

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness......... 1 John 1:5-9

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind…. 2Timothy 1:7

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear…. I John 4:8a