leaping - Wellspring Christian Ministries

In the book of Nehemiah, the children of Israel had spent 70 years in captivity under the Babylonians because they would not leave worshipping false gods and separate themselves to worship on Yahweh. For many generations God warned them over and over. He sent prophets to tell them of His coming judgement. Periodically a king would take the throne who’s heart was for God and there would be a brief revival in the nation, but eventually, enough was enough and the land was invaded and the people were carried off into bondage – just as God had said would happen if they did not repent and turn back to Him. Now the 70 years of bondage had ended and the exiled Israelites are returning to Jerusalem. The first group was led back by Zerubbabel around 538 BC when Cyrus was king. The second group was led by Ezra around 458 BC when Artaxerxes was king. Then Nehemiah brought the third group back around 444 BC and Artaxerxes was still king. The long penitent prayer found in Nehemiah chapter 9 shows that the Jews understood that their persistent rebellion against God is what led them to be taken captive. Now their generation was being returned to the land of promise and they recognize that it was the grace of God that allowed them back. As a result we see the people mourn and weep over their sin as they repent and confess their sin to God.

The Jews understood their persistent rebellion against God led them into captivity for 70 years. They also knew it was the grace of God that allowed them back. As a result, they mourn & weep over their sin as they confess their sin to God. — click to tweet.

In verse 17, we find attributes of God that is good new for us today because we, like the Jews, stray from God and go our own way. We too are guilty of trying to do life our way, rather than God’s way. When we repent and turn back to God, we will find the same God that they found. Verse 17 says, “But You are God, Ready to pardon, Gracious and merciful, slow to anger; abundant in kindness, and did not forsake them.”

We, like the Jews, stray from God. We try to do life our way, rather than God’s way. When we repent will find the same God they found: a God ready to pardon, gracious & merciful, slow to anger, abundant in kindness, & will not forsake us. — click to tweet

When we come to God in repentance, we need to recognize that God is God. There is no other God. Isaiah 45:5 says, “I am the Lord, and there is no other; Besides Me there is no God.” While we may not bow down and worship golden or stone images, we are all guilty of making something a god in our life. It could be our children, careers, or hobbies. Anything that we make more important in our life than God becomes an idol that we worship. As we repent, we return God to the place He deserves in our lives and get our priorities in the right order.

The second thing we learn, is that God is ready to pardon. He is waiting for us to come to Him, asking for forgiveness and as soon as our heart is repentant and contrite, He is ready to pronounce our pardon. The only thing standing in the way of our pardon, is our own hard-heartedness and rebellion that refuses to ask God to forgive us.

We also learn that God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger. When you look through the books of 1 & 2 Kings and the generation after generation of forsaking God, you can understand that God is indeed gracious and merciful. If God were not gracious and merciful, none of us would have any hope. But God does give us chance after chance to repent before judgement comes. But just as Israel experienced – there comes a day when judgement comes if we do not repent. Ultimately we see God’s graciousness and mercy towards us poured out through the sacrifice of His only son in our place. If you want to see the extent of God’s grace and mercy towards us, you only need to look to the cross.

Next we lean that God is abundant in kindness. In all the years of Israel, God had shown his abundant kindness towards them. It is because of His kindness that He provides for us, protects us, and empathizes with us. When Jesus lived on earth, we saw the kindness of God over and over as Jesus healed, fed, and forgave the people encountered. God is still abundant in kindness towards us today.

Lastly we see that God never forsook His people. Even when they were in bondage, God was at work, drawing them back to Him and preparing them for the day when they would return to the promised land. Deuteronomy 31:6 tells us that God will go with us and then He will never leave us or forsake us. The people may have spent 70 years in captivity as a result of their rebellion against God, yet God never forsook them and He will never forsake us.

If you have strayed away from God, it’s time to come back. Like the Jews, we return as we acknowledge that God is God and there is no other. When we do, we’ll find He is ready to pardon and we will understand and realize the full extent of his grace and mercy. We’ll see that because He is slow to anger that He gave us chance after chance to return to Him. We’ll be able to recognize His abundant kindness in our lives and that even when we strayed from Him, He never strayed from us but kept calling us back to Him. Listen. He’s calling you now.

If you have strayed away from God, it’s time to come back. Even when we stray from Him, He never strays from us but keeps calling us back to Him. Listen. He’s calling you now. — click to tweet

God, Love and Marshmallow Wars: This book contains 365 daily challenges for couples to strengthen their relationships to each other and with God. Couples will complete activities such as Scripture memory, conversation starters, relationship builders, learning about Biblical marriage, romance builders, personal reflections, and date ideas. Click here to purchase your copy. (This link will open a new widow and take you to Westbow Press’ bookstore.) It is also available at Christian Book Distributors, Amazon, and Barnes & Nobel

Looking for a speaker for your next ministry event? Julia is now booking for 2019 and 2020 Christian events for women’s and couples’ ministries for both small and large events.
Book with us now.

Julia is CEO of Wellspring Christian Ministries, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people and couples develop a passionate relationship with God. A public speaker, conference trainer, event planner, and blog writer, Julia is a two-time graduate from Grand Canyon University with a bachelor in Psychology and a masters in Professional Counseling. Saved as a child and raised in church and in a Christian home and private Christian School as a Pastor’s kid, Julia has taught Sunday school, led music, played the piano, served as Children’s Director, and engaged her gifts in many other areas of church life. Previously employed with the Florida Baptist Convention, Julia organized events and led conferences for church ministry assistants.

Julia enjoys sharing her journey as a growing Christian with others looking for a deeper connection with God. Through Bible study and her own life experiences, God has given Julia a passion to help couples understand God’s design for marriage while they learn to place God first in their marriage, cultivate meaningful relationships, build intimacy, and address the tougher issues that come in every marriage so that they can experience a marriage that honors and glorifies God. Julia also loves mentoring, teaching, and working with women to help them learn to live as Godly women.

With her history and experience growing up in both small and large churches, Julia enjoys bringing top level quality events to churches of all sizes. Her father largely pastored small churches and therefore she understands that these vital parts of the believing community need to be good stewards of the resources God provides them with. This knowledge inspires her passion for being available with a fresh perspective for those who want to provide their congregations with meaningful spiritual growth opportunities.

To request more information or a booking,
fill out the online form here.

Or call us at 904.524.8073

Expectations. We all have them. Sometimes, our expectations end up leaving us disappointed. But for one lame man who encountered Peter and John at the temple, his expectations far exceeded anything He could have imagined.

Expectations. We all have them, but for one lame man who encountered Peter and John, his expectations far exceeded anything He could have imagined. He asked for alms but encountered the power of God working through Peter.
— click to tweet

In Acts, chapter 3 we find Peter and John going to the temple at the hour of prayer. As they were entering they find a man that was born lame. He had never walked a day in his life. Because of being lame, he was unable to work so to support himself, he would sit outside the temple begging for alms (money). He was totally depended on the kindness of others just to live day to day. There was no governmental assistance programs to help him so he had to swallow his pride and beg and hope someone would have pity on him and drop him a coin or two. So as Peter and John approached him, he asked them to give him so money. The Bible tells us that Peter fastened his eyes on the lame man and said to him, “Look on us.” The man looks, expecting them to give him a coin – or maybe each them would give him a coin. Can you imagine him looking at them, hope in his eyes, with his basket stretched out for them to drop a coin in to? The encounter started out positive, but Peter’s next words probably were very disappointing. Peter said, “Silver and gold have I none.” Can you imagine the thoughts going through the lame man’s mind? Thoughts like, “Then why did you want me to look at you?” or “Just another person making fun of me. He was never going to help me anyway.” But then Peter continued, “but such as I have give I thee.” Perhaps now the lame man is thinking that Peter was going to give him some food or an extra coat to keep him warm. Little did he know that Peter’s next words would change his entire life. Peter said, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.” Peter takes him by his hand and pulls him up. The Bible tells us that instantly the man’s feet and ankle bones received strength – not just to stand on, but a man who had never taken a step in his life went walking and leaping, and praising God! He didn’t praise Peter and John. He recognized the healing came from God and he rightly gave God the praise.

When the lame man encountered Peter, his feet and ankle bones immediately received strength. He came to the temple lame and had never walked in his life – but left the temple walking and leaping and praising God. – click to tweet

Sometimes, we pray and ask God to heal someone or to give us something and we become disappointed when those prayer seem to go unanswered. We don’t know if the lame man ever prayer for God to heal him. Or maybe he’d prayed so many times that he’d given up on asking. However, even when it feels that God is not at work, we can trust that He is working all things out for our good (Romans 8:28). This lame man’s story would become part of the story of the early church growing and thriving and spreading. God choose for this man to encounter Peter and John on this day, in that moment and his story would be a testimony for God had done for him. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” The man came to the temple with the expectations of receiving enough coins just to feed himself but encountered the power of God working through Peter and he went home walking and leaping and praising God. We can trust God that even if he doesn’t give us what we are asking for, that He has something so much better in mind or that while we think something we are asking for is what we really need, God sees something we don’t and what we are asking for is not for our good – so He doesn’t give it to us. Even when things come our way that we don’t understand, we can trust that God will only do what is for our best interests.

What expectations do you have today? Have they left you feeling let down and disappointed? Surrender them to God and trust Him for His plans for you – whatever they are and when you encounter the power of God at work, your greatest expectations will be nowhere near anything you can imagine.

What expectations do you have today? Surrender them to God and trust His plans for you – whatever they are – and when you encounter the power of God at work, your greatest expectations will be nowhere near anything you can imagine. — click to tweet

Looking for a speaker for your next ministry event? Julia is now booking for 2019 and 2020 Christian events for women’s and couples’ ministries for both small and large events.
Book with us now.

To request more information or a booking,
fill out the online form here.

Or call us at 904.524.8073