Today's story is one we've all heard a million times. It's the story of the everyman, the ordinary guy with the extraordinary position in life who leaves his position of privilege and power to save his people.
Sound familiar?
Well, it's the story of Nehemiah. Could it be your story too? Let's find out together. Coming up right now on the Cleveland Today Show. You're listening to Clearview Today with Dr.
Abadan Shah, the daily show that engages mind and heart for the gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm Ryan Hill. I'm John Galantis, and welcome to the Clearview Today Studio with our host, Dr. Abadan Shah. If you're listening for the very first time today, Dr.
Shah is a PhD in New Testament textual criticism, professor at Carolina University, author, full-time pastor, and the host of today's show. Dr. Shah, welcome. It's good to be here. Good to see you.
Good to see you. We're starting a new series in Nehemiah. We actually started yesterday. But Nehemiah, it's a story that we all, you know, we all know it, even if we've never read the book of Nehemiah, right? Like the privileged, powerful person takes up the call of duty and goes to save his people.
You know, it's a story. It could be a Hollywood blockbuster.
Well, we're going to figure out today how it speaks to our lives, how it speaks to what we're facing and what we go through. But that's the whole goal, not just with Nehemiah, but with every episode of this too. It's true. Provide a clearer focus on how the Bible applies to our lives. And I'm thankful for these conversations that we get to have.
They're edifying to me personally. And I know the same is true for our audiences. You know who I'm thankful for is our sponsors. Every single episode we do is sponsored by great companies that we endorse right here on the Clearview Today show.
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That's right. We thank you very much because of your sacrifices and your commitment in helping the show be on the air. There are so many people who write to us and tell us how much they appreciate that. Just today, I had a gentleman tell me that he appreciated one of our shows where we talked about this person who came forward. And he, you know, his mind was going away.
Yes, of course. And he was struggling. But in that brief moment, he came forward and gave his life to Christ. But by the time he left the pew and made his way to the front, he had already forgotten why he was there. And he said, that was so funny the way you described it because he got up there and said, I don't know what the and he used the word like HE double hockey sticks.
He said, I don't know what I'm doing here. And his wife was in tears. Everybody knew what was happening but him. But he knew just five seconds earlier. Amen.
So things like that touch so many lives. Like this gentleman said, I really appreciate that. It helped me a lot because I have a family member in that situation.
So, anyways, your contribution. Touches lives that you probably will never hear about, but they do. That's right. So, thank you for giving. Yes, and we're continuing the conversation today about Nehemiah.
We introduced this on yesterday's episode. And Nehemiah is such an interesting book in the Bible because it speaks perfectly on the topic of leadership. Yes. It feeds into these, naturally, feeds into these conversations about what it means to be a leader, what it means to have influence, and how we can do that biblically. That's right.
It's on leadership. And Nehemiah was not a pastor, he was not a prophet. He was not a king. He was a cupbearer living in Shushan, which is what you would say modern-day Iran. He was living in Persia.
A cupbearer was much more than just somebody who is like a wine taster or somebody who's a food taster, just to make sure that you eat the food and then let us know, and that way. You know, we'll try it on you first, kind of thing. That's not what he did. Not a poison checker. Not the poison checker.
He was much more than that. He was like a confidant to the king. He was an advisor to the king.
So. How did it get to Persia. How did he get to Shushan? More than likely, his parents were brought there as prisoners. from Jerusalem by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar.
So it was the Babylonians Who had carted away the southern kingdom of Judah and Benjamin into exile? Not every single person, but many of them were probably killed.
Some fled to Egypt, to the southwest, and then others were taken into exile to Babylon. And there they complained, they fussed, and then God told them through Jeremiah to plant themselves there, to build their lives there. And they're not going anywhere unless they build their lives, and in God's timing, He will free them. And so. Uh Nebuchadnezzar had done his work and and Everything was destroyed back home.
But then when Cyrus. The Persian Of the Medo-Persian Empire, once he defeated the Babylonians, this is after Nebuchadnezzar. This is after Nebuchadnezzar died, and he actually died, a believer. But after him, the Medo-Persian Empire came into power. And one of Cyrus's first order of business was to free The exiles.
Not this, just the Jewish people, but anybody else that. Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians had kept in exile, he said you can go home. You can go back to your lands, you can go back to your homes, build your homes, build your cities, build your temples, start your worship, do whatever you want to do. Just Make sure you remember to send in the tributes. But you pay your tap, pay your tributes.
Pay your tributes. Be under the Persian Empire. But you can have your own kingdoms. You can have your own land. Yeah.
So many Jewish people, I wouldn't say many, some went back in different groups. Over time. But Nehemiah was one of those who more than likely was born there.
So he's looking at it like, I don't want to go. This is my home. This is my home. Persia is my home. And I was born and raised here.
I was educated here. I climbed the ladder of success here. I have zero reason to go back. to Jerusalem. I don't know anybody in Jerusalem.
It's like if you know if you came from Europe, what Purpose, do you have to go back and rebuild Europe? You'd be like, I don't care. Yeah, this is my home. I know where I work, I know where I live. I know where my children go to school.
Why in the world would I leave this to go there? Back there, yeah. But word began to come back to Nehemiah. That Back home. Home that he had never visited, I would say probably never been to, that things were really bad.
And The the walls of Jerusalem Are still lying on the ground when Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed them. and the people's situation. Those exiles who had come back. And even some of the ones who were there, you know, after Nebuchadnezzar left. there were people who went into hiding, they may have come back out.
Or those who ran away to Egypt may have come back into the land.
So there were people there. And then the exiles came back. And the word came to Nehemiah that those people were in really dire straits. And something needs to be done.
So that's a way, maybe you can tie this into our theme of leadership. That's a way that Nehemiah's story is unlike the Hollywood blockbusters because he's not a reluctant hero. He doesn't have this situation thrust upon him that forces him into action. It's a conviction that he has. You know what I mean?
It's this internal conviction that he cares. He cares about this land that he's never been to. And maybe, Dr. Shi, you can talk a little bit about how a leader has to care. You know, first and foremost, if you lead.
There's the implication that you actually care about what's happening, even if you're not directly connected to it. That's right. You have to care. I mean, leadership. Without a spirit of caring.
I mean, just go to your local government. elected off officials meetings, go to state levels, go to national levels. When you come across people in leadership who do not care, it is very obvious. They are there because Either they like the money or they like the power. They're there for the wrong reasons.
They don't care about their constituents. They don't care about the future. They don't have any desire to really make things better. They have no desire to. to put themselves In the hot seat, so They can make some changes for the betterment of the people.
They have no desire. It's just. They're just in power. Why? Because either because of popularity.
or because of some of the reasons they got elected. And they are They're doing whatever they want to do. Either to just buy time, get their paychecks, or they have an ulterior motive, some business or something, they're trying to profit through being in that elected position, or they have family and friends, some kind of nepotism under the scenes, under the table is going on. Whatever reason, there's no care. And it can also be in the ministry.
Do you really care about the people that you're leading? Yeah.
One of the things that I think that you said to me when I started, you know, I started working here in ministry at 21, there were things that I cared about and then there were things that I genuinely just did not care about. I had to be taught to care about. I know one of them that we still talk about is like the temperature of the room, right?
So one of the things that we do at Clearview is we want to make sure that people are comfortable here. When I start, I mean, even still, you know, when you're in AV ministry, you're in like... putting the service together, you're worried about the lights, you're worried about the sound, you're not worried about the temperature of the room. And one of the things that you said to me is I know that right now in your 20s, this is not important, but the older you get, The more you will start caring about little things like that. And man, it has really helped me now that I'm in my 30s and I'm seeing my children here, I'm seeing my family being built here, and I see people falling asleep during the sermon because it's a little too warm, or people have blankets because it's too cold.
You start caring about those things. And I think that has really helped me. And I think there's people listening to this who may be young, maybe on the other side of that little hump where they're just like, I mean, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter what temperature the room is. It doesn't matter if, I mean, just get the water, it doesn't matter if the water bottles are there.
But it does matter. Right, yeah. Yeah, now there is a place where you can care too much and be so focused on this, that, and the other that you don't really have solid content. And solid content can be preaching.
Solid content can be worship.
Solid content can be a good children's ministry or a student ministry.
Solid content can be your plan for the city or for the county or for the state or for the nation.
Solid content can be understanding the inner workings of the government or some project. Or some industry, or something that's coming into your community, or something else. I mean, you need to understand how things work. But. At the end of the day, Is the key.
Do you care about how this is going to impact? People. That's right. So it could be as simple as: hey, make sure when y'all come in, The thermostats are like not even coming on, and the temperature is rising in here. And y'all are like, just like, yeah, sounds good.
And even your eyes are like this. Think about what's happening to the rest of the people. Think about it. Think. But it could be something much bigger than that.
It could be... You're in that that leadership capacity where the decisions you're making are going to impact your people. For the worst. Yes, that's right. That's right.
In your experience, Dr. Shah, how many leaders have you met that? That care, genuinely care, and are not phoning it in, not faking it. I would say far less. There need to be.
Far less. Why is that such a rarity? Because there is s uh because In those positions The people who get into those kinds of positions usually get there. Because So I hate to say that. There are people who really do things, and then there are people who sit in positions.
And the ones who are really doing things, whether building a business or starting an organization or really making a change and a difference in the world through some nonprofits, they don't need that motivation because they already have it. They already care, hence they're doing what they're doing.
So, as a business leader, they're caring about their employees, they're caring about their customers, and so they're going the extra mile. But if you are put in a position. By votes. Then What is your motivation to get there?
Now don't get me wrong, I have seen people on school boards and I have seen people on county commissioner boards and city councils who, man, they genuinely care. They would rather be doing something else. But they ran for office because they wanted to see things improve. They were sick and tired of how. Decisions were being made with no regard for the people.
And so they they sacrifice to to get into those positions. But then there are people who get into those position because of Power and money and things like that. And their goal is just to maintain that position. Maintain that position, maintain that power. And I see a whole lot more of those.
Unfortunately, then I see people who who who get into those positions because they are th th they're they're concerned. As a pastor, I have to examine my heart. Do I Uh do I enjoy? Standing in front of people and pontificating on biblical passages? Or do I really care that that person needs to have a change of heart?
I mean, that's it. I don't need to question my motives. Yeah.
Yeah.
Forget about talking. about elected officials in politics or Some famous pastor out there who doesn't care about the people and makes bad choices. I need to examine my own heart. Do I really care about people who are sitting Out in the pews. Yeah.
How do you have, maybe you can address this to people who are who are like me in temperament? Because it sounds bad when you say, I would never say I don't care about people, but I do find myself much more drawn to things, systems, shows, productions. I find myself more drawn to those things. Not to say I dislike people or don't care about people, but if you found yourself in ministry and you know that by temperament you are more drawn to things than to people, what are some guidelines or some encouragement that you can give people who find themselves? Great, great question.
I would say to you or to anybody who is like that, just know that behind the scenes or maybe right in front of you is somebody who is caring about people, hence you can care about things. They're doing that. Yeah.
So for so maybe you're like, hey, I like music or I like technology or like great But it's because there's someone there. Maybe it's your senior pastor. Maybe it is that person on that. School board, or maybe it's that person in that county commissioner's board. They they they are out there meeting people, talking to people, listening to their their concerns, attending every meeting, showing up at neighborhood watches, doing all these things so that They are giving you legitimacy.
So make sure you don't don't think that I as long as I do this, it doesn't matter. No, no, somebody is doing those things. It's like growing up at home. It's like, you know, oh my My mom is fussing all the time about cleaning the house and washing the clothes and blah, blah, blah. I mean, I don't care about those things.
What I care about is. As long as I like make good grades in school. Yeah.
And play good sports if you're playing sports. and I do those things and I drive safely and come home. It does it matter? Yeah, but it does matter. Yeah.
It's because they make money to pay your bills so you can have a room and you can put gas in your car and you can go to a good school. You're doing that because they're doing that. Yeah, their work is providing you the opportunity to make good grades. Would you say that someone who's in that position, the goal is, let's say you're in your 20s, you're very focused on things, you like doing things for the ministry, but the goal is to learn from your senior pastor or learn from that person who is caring about people so that. Maybe in 10 years, 15 years, you can be that person.
Yeah, you'll get there. See, we all grow and mature. And I've learned that, and I'm still learning that things that I didn't care about. 15, 20 years ago. But I'm not going to pat myself on the back, but there's one thing.
I feel like God has gifted me as I listen. And if somebody is telling me something that is Not just like novel or or or different or something. Creative and cool, that all of a sudden my ears park up. It's not like that. But I I am listening to see Where are my blind spots?
And I've always been like that.
So when I used to sit in my PhD seminars, And the seminars had nothing to do with my textual critical work.
So I would listen even more carefully because I was like, these are subjects that I'm not an expert on and will not be. I mean, I may be more of an expert than an average person, but I will not be an expert because my field is. Textual criticism.
So when I would sit in that seminar, say on Trinity. The doctrine of Trinity, I would pay careful attention.
So when that professor would say something like, Well, you know, there's a reason why this view is critical because if you lose this doctrine, then it's going to impact I mean, I would be listening very like, mm-hmm. Writing things down. that doctrine is important.
Now I'm not going to have time to research that, but I have locked it away in my mind that that doctrine matters because it impacts something. Later on, I'm going to work on that. But at least for now I know.
So also with people like like like when I first came to this church Twenty Almost 28 years ago. One of the gentlemen here told me, he said, You know, you need to be involved in the community. And he told me, be like so-and-so pastor around here. He is very involved in the community. I didn't like him for saying that.
I was like, I'm going for my PhD. Yeah.
I'm going to be a good preacher. I have good pastors in my life. My dad was an amazing pastor. My father-in-law was a great pastor until he passed away with cancer. I don't need some local pastor who shows up at.
whatever that you think and that I need to be like him.
Now looking back, that person has since died. I'm like, oh wow, he gave me such a good advice. But it did. Made me aware.
So everywhere I was, when I would see that pastor, I would be like, oh, look at him. He's all everywhere.
Now. Was I trying to follow that pastor in every step? No. But I began to realize. Being involved in community.
is important. And that gentleman told me that. But at that age, that was like 25 when I was 25, I came to this town. In nineteen ninety eight.
So I was twenty five years old. Wow. When I came to Henderson. Yeah.
At that time when you told me that, I was like, I don't know what you're talking about. But now looking back, I'm like. Wow. That was great advice. That was a great advice because now a lot of people.
Use me as an example to their pastor. and say, look, be like him, who is so involved in the community. And how like this is crazy. that somebody was telling me that. But at the time, twenty five years ago, I was like, That's dumb.
Yeah.
But thank goodness I did not cast it away. I paid it. Paid attention. That's right. So, what do you think someone should be paying attention to right now?
Let's say, like, let's hope 20 years from now, someone's like, I listened to the Clearview Today show, and I didn't think much of it at the time, but now I realize what? For me, I would say for me. What about? Uh you know Always be Aware of your weaknesses Work on your strengths. Don't get me wrong.
Work on your strengths. Don't try to be something that you're not. I like music. I w I used to play music, but singing is not my gift. I can sing, but I'm not gonna hold a concert.
Right, right. It's not going to happen.
So I'm not going to work on my weakness there. But I can definitely Build my strengths, but also be aware of my weaknesses and try to supplement them. There are times where something may not make sense to you. At your stage or state in life, Yeah. But if you see somebody really passionate about that, Pay attention to it.
pay attention to it and investigate and say why are they Why why are they so Zoned in on that? What is it that making them think that that. Needs to be done that way. Yeah, I agree with you 100%. As someone who's coming out of their 20s now, I'm 34.
I can see that the things that I used to ask, why is this such a big deal?
Now I'm starting to see, and I'm hopefully God will keep maturing me, but I'm starting to see those. I see now why those are a big deal. Yeah.
Because the people who, like, even with something as simple as the temperature, the people who are your support. Are not paying attention to the service because they're focused on the temperature, or something like the water bottles not getting refilled. There's people coughing all in the service and distracting everybody. Yeah, I see, I'm starting to see now, and so I guess even for you, if you're young, if you're wondering, like, why do people care so much about this little insignificant things? They're not, they're really not insignificant.
Well, I think that's twofold because as you mature, as you grow, you'll become more aware of those things. But also, if we had not had someone like you to pour into us and to teach us, like, this is, you should care about this because X, Y, and Z, you know, I don't know that we would have made those connections on that. Maybe we would have. No, I don't think you're naturally going to start caring about that stuff. I think you also need to surround yourself with leaders who are more further along the leadership path than you are, who will guide you in that direction, show you, kind of spotlight the things that you need to care about, almost like this is the destination, and then you'll catch up, you'll get there.
Yeah.
And not everybody can be that. That leader or that mentor to you.
So don't make just anybody anywhere. There will be people who will try to be your mentor and try to take you under their wings. Just make sure that they are qualified, they are who they are portraying themselves to be. That's right. Because if they're not, you're going to be following the wrong person.
And I have seen people follow wrong people and go down a dark alley and find out that, man, this is a dead end. And then they have to navigate themselves all the way back to get back on the main road. And by that time, it's too late.
So. Make sure you follow the right people. That's right. Not just anybody can be. A good mentor.
That's right. That's 100%. We're going to dig further into this topic on Nehemiah. As we follow along with Nehemiah, we hope you guys follow along with us as well as we learn more about what it means to be a leader, to follow the right people, and to make sure that we are leading God's way. Thank you so much for joining us for the episode today.
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And you can also follow all those links that Ryan gave as well. A couple of things, speaking of links, a couple of things I do want to leave you with before we head out. Today. Number one is our Greek New Testament. It's the Robinson Pierpont 2026 edition, the Byzantine text form.
It's available for pre-order right now in the link in the description. Thank you for everyone who's already pre-ordered. We are in the final stages of formatting and we're sending the things off to the printer very soon.
So, for everyone who's still waiting for their edition, don't worry, it's coming. It's almost done. And if you're listening to this and you're like, well, I would really love to order it and I'd love to support you guys, but I don't read Greek. Guess what? Starting tomorrow, we are recording our very first episode.
Actually, by the time you're listening to this, we'll probably be recording it. Our very first episode of How to Read Biblical Greek with Dr. Abadan Shah. It's a live lecture series we're going to be doing all throughout the summer, every single Wednesday night, and releasing them the following Wednesday. But our promise to you is this: if you commit this summer to learning biblical Greek through this video podcast, you will be reading the New Testament in its original language.
I can tell you firsthand, my family is actually from Greece. I never once ever gave it any knowledge after just a couple of lessons with Dr. Shah. I was reading very, very fundamentally, very slowly, but I was reading. Creating the New Testament in its original language, and it has helped me tremendously.
That's right. We love you guys. We'll see you tomorrow on Clear Vee Today.
