Neh. 1:1-11
1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. It came to pass in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan[a] the [b]citadel, 2 that Hanani one of my brethren came with men from Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who had survived the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. 3 And they said to me, “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.” 4 So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5 And I said: “I pray, Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love [c]You and observe [d]Your commandments, 6 please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned. 7 We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses. 8 Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you [e]are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations; 9 but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.’ 10 Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand. 11 O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” For I was the king’s cupbearer.
Jn. 16:31-33
31 Jesus answered them, “Do you now believe? 32 Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his [e]own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. 33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you [f]will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
Neh. 4:7-9
7 Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the [a]gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry, 8 and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion. 9 Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.
Gen. 12:1-3
12 Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. 2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Neh. 4:11-14
11 And our adversaries said, “They will neither know nor see anything, till we come into their midst and kill them and cause the work to cease.” 12 So it was, when the Jews who dwelt near them came, that they told us ten times, “From whatever place you turn, they will be upon us.” 13 Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. 14 And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”
1 Cor. 1:18-25
18 For the [g]message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” 20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the [h]disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a [i]stumbling block and to the [j]Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
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Good morning God is good and all the time a man he is always good cared told me this morning she says I might have to watch and watch for to starts now and I might have to hurry along so this let’s know it’s not snowing it has only got to win this but I’ll try because I had the van right. A man you know that 1st him that we sang a few of the words in there said Lord teach me to love teach us to love and that awesome God help me help me to love help teach me you know we sometimes we need to be taught how to love more of us anyway in me that needs to be fixed that I can love more Lord do that for me amen. This morning a message out titled Nehemiah a man of action so you can probably guess what will be going to Nehemiah but before we begin let’s start with a word of prayer Heavenly Father we do thank you and praise you for the honor to come into your house and work to come in and worship together in corporate worship we thank you for that father most of all we thank you for your presence thank you for your presence to your Holy Spirit Lord I pray that your name will be lifted high the smore ning that you would be exalted fathers you would just speak to each of us the words that you need us to hear father and or May we be a blessing for you or we pray that we would bless you with our lives we pray that we will bless you as a church and Father again we just thank you thank you for your love we thank you for your amazing grace in Jesus’ name amen you know last week. I mentioned the battle that’s been raging in our nation over this whole issue of a wall the wall the president and many want to build between Mexico and United States now don’t get scared I’m not going to turn this into a political thing here today but you know it is good that. I have a wife that she is she can be my critic and I’m saying this in a good way I’m not saying this in a bad way that I can you know bounce things off of her say something wrong you know she can let me know in a loving way and and that’s a good thing and last week she said you know you kind of made it sound like for those who weren’t here at Qana made it sound like that all those A come across the border bringing drugs into the country and I didn’t really mean it to come out that way if that’s the way it sounded so I’m kind of helping or go to correcting what I may have said I did kind of say it that way and I didn’t mean it to come across that way I do realize that not everybody that comes across the border bringing drugs into our nation but it is a major issue so with that mommy that’s Connell’s on my mind is we can work on that it did a little research and this is a little bit older from 2015 now this is the amount of drugs seized at our border there were 1000000 536499 pounds of marijuana seized at the border in 2015 there were 4294 pounds of cocaine seized at the border in 2015 now that’s just 2 drugs that’s not counting all the others and they have no idea how much gets across undetected on seized because the sheer number of people traveling across the border every day is this a standing at the San Siro Drew Port Aventura it is the busiest land border crossing in the entire world they checked 50000 vehicles a day. $20000.00 pedestrians a day now they’re not all whom one way that’s both ways $50000.00 cars and that’s a $24.00 hour period how could they possibly do a thorough inspection of every single vehicle right that’s just one border crossing between Mexico and United States there’s more than one but that’s one crossing so that’s a lot of people a lot of cars criminal coming across the border and I know that it is this is a very extremely sensitive issue with many people we do have a crisis in would the wall be a fix for all of it I’m not going to give you my dislike and say probably not you know we have locks on our doors of our houses why to keep the honest man on us right so the wall going to fix it all probably not because the drug cartels down there they are so filthy rich that they have unmanned some Marines that they use to get some of the drugs from Mexico into our country they have extensive tunnels to get drugs into our country and people in your country so the walls not going to be a fix all I can tell you that so I disavow say we’re going to make a political thing I hope I’m not but I will say this there are probably a lot of good people wanting to come across the border to find a better life because the conditions are that horrible in Mexico they did the pay is horrible for jobs that they can find a job the crime is terrible so there are many trying to come across just to try to better themselves find a job but I’m going to say this about all of that I’m going to destroy wrap it up and go on with it I am so grateful that we live in a nation where people are trying to escape into I’m grateful that I’m not living the nation that I’m trying to escape out of anybody else thankful for that. Yes I’m thankful that I live in a nation that I’m not trying to escape out of there’s nowhere else in the world that Abra other lives than right here in the United States there may be a lot of wrong with the United States but there’s no place I would rather live than right here in the good old USA I’m thankful for I’m grateful for so since that was all my mind that’s what kind of got me to Nehemiah. Nehemiah chapter one vs one through 11 Nehemiah went to build a wall so let’s hear the word of the Lord and am I 11 through 11 the words of Nehemiah the son of Hochelaga it came to pass in the month of Chez live in the 12th year as I am was in Seuss’ then the citadel that hand in the eye of one of my brother and came with men from Judah and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped who had survived the captivity and concerning Jerusalem and they said to made the survivors who are left from the cup captivity in the Providence or province or they’re in great distress and reproach the wall of Dru’s them is broken down and its gates are burned with fire so it was when I heard these words that I sat down and wept and mourned for many days I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven you know not read that part and the a mile he was broken his heart was broken for his people for his city he whipped and mourn for many days many days because he loved his people we love this family that much. And I said I pray nor God of heaven a great and awesome God you who keep your covenant and mercy with those who love you and observe your commandments please let your ear be attentive and your eyes open that you may hear the prayer of your servant which I pray before you now day in night for the children of Israel your servants and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against you both my father’s house and I have sinned I’ll get the end of in a moment I love this part of it Nehemiah is prayin and he didn’t say I’m going to pray for those bunch of heathens that’s turned her back on you he said we we have sinned against you my father’s house and I have sinned brothers sisters when we pray for our nation we say we should be prying and bother we have sinned bother I have sinned forgive us don’t point out the others but can you know he was part of that nation that was his people we have sin that should be our prayers we have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments the statutes nor the ordinances which you commanded your servant Moses remember I pray the word that you commanded your servant Moses say if your UN faithful I will scatter you among the nations but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens yet I will gather them from there and bring them to a place which I have chosen as a dwelling place for for my name. Now those are your servants and your people whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand the Lord I pray please let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant and to the prayer of your servants who desire to fear your name and let your servants prosper this day I pray and grant him mercy in the sight of this man for I was the King’s Cup bear you know what be careful what you pray for because God might spend Jews. Be careful what you pray for God might send you to help fix things but I truly believe that all my heart that Nehemiah had it in his heart to go his heart to go and be the leader of the Be the man to help rebuild the wall around Jerusalem you know there are we all you know we’ve got neighbors we get friends we’ve got coworkers that we know people that sit around and they gripe and complain about everything right they’ll gripe about the government dole gripe about their families or gripe about their neighbors will complain about this will complain about nobody does anything but all the while they sit back and do nothing they do nothing but gripe and complain Nehemiah was not that kind of man he didn’t complain about the situation to Jerusalem found itself he didn’t complain about the situation to his brother who were in he took action but what was the very 1st thing he did come on he prayed Amen he prayed and he fasted you know it’s not coincidence that he was the cup bearer of the King God had him in that position for a reason right you know a cup bear would be in the presence of the King often because every time they brought the king a cup of wine or something to drink what the cup bearer do he’s going to take a taste 1st to see if it’s poison right. That’s why that’s why you had a cup bear because the king didn’t want to dodge drinking a poison so if you had a hated King man there could be a big turn over a cup bearers right coming oh we need another cup barely get him out here in New Cup bear right you want to hope that King was loved by all if you’re the cup bear you never thought of that did you have this doctor laugh and this think about it. Who’d like that job. Not may just drink it yourself King I don’t I don’t want to hand but he prayed you know it said that those that came to him came in the month of his Lev and then he went before the king in the month of Nissan That’s 4 months 4 months 4 months and he was praying you know for months went by and then all the sudden the king seeing the anxiety will get to that scripture minute but he seen the anxiety in the in my eyes face concerning his brother and he wanted to know what’s wrong what’s wrong why is your countenance worried why are you upset and he tells me you know I’ll confess I’m not the most observant guy about some things is surprised make you laugh and that. My wife will go get a haircut and I may not notice some may never notice it but most people here probably already noticed last week there are hair was a fair amount darker than it had been this kind of rig too and it was really bar pretty blond Well the day she had her hair covered colored colored cover colored I’ve been home for hours all this and says Honey I like my hair color my hair my digit but I didn’t know it’s so I was. Argh sorry stank reckons the next day so I’m not the observant However some things I am very observant in we pulled in a drought way to small to pick up land and I look up to the house across the yard bare the neighbor’s house in their hand rail come on hooked in there was a Lean In this way and soon the dinner that brought about Ham rope or slain I can’t help I can’t observe the right things to make my wife happy so. I set out to say this he had known for 4 months and I know that he was praying and fasting maybe the came was a little bit like me. Maybe his face so that anxiety for 4 months but he just didn’t notice it took him 4 months to notice they was anything like me right so I’m not in the servant guy when it comes to some things. So any help a lot went on between the time of him going back and building the wall there was a man names a ruble that he had led a group of exiles back to Jerusalem in 536 B.C. he was the grandson of King him the 18th king of Juda Drupal became the governor of Drusilla he began to rebuild the temple in 536 B.C. and then for some reason they quit building for 14 years and then they started again in 520 B.C. and they finished the temple in 516 I said that say this Nehemiah did not begin to rebuild the walls until 445 B.C. That works out to be 71 years so from the time that some of the captives went back and they course through many years built the temple rebuilt the temple 71 years later Nehemiah goes to work on rebuilding the wall what did that what happened in these 70 years are they sitting around doing nothing no. They began to return under the age of the Persian king Cyrus unlike the Babylonians Persian policy was to allow captives to return to their homeland to begin to rebuild or government to begin to rebuild their cities to re build their so religious system as are also was another man that was very vital in getting Drusilla restored in the people restored he had letters from King or exert sees also to gave him authority to go back to Jerusalem in to begin to teach to people about faith in God teach religion teach him about following God in observing His ordinances so there was a whole lot the transpired in the 70 years when Nehemiah found it comes back to rebuild the wall rebuild in the wall require a man of great knowledge a man of strong faith a great leader an encourager and Nehemiah was that man so the word got out though that the Jews were going to be rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem and it as it always works whenever someone’s faithful to God and working for God opposition arose the enemy does not like it when God’s work is being accomplished through the enemy rather would see God’s people suffering in distress afraid the enemy likes it when God’s people are afraid he likes to make God’s people doubt he likes to make God’s people stumble in their faith but our God is an awesome God he’s a powerful God is Nehemiah since Jesus proclaimed to his followers to expect opposition in John 1631 through 33 Jesus answered them do you now believe indeed the hour is coming yes has now come that you will be scattered each to ism and will leave me alone. And yet I am not alone because the father is with me these things I have spoken to you that in me you may have peace in the world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world we will have tribulation in the world friends but we are overcomers in Jesus Christ amen Nehemiah’s opposition we can read of that in the in my chapter 4 verses 7 through 9 Now it happened when sand ballot so by of the Arabs the Ammonites the ash indicts heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored in the gaps were being closed that they became very angry and all of them conspired together to come attack Jerusalem and create confusion Nevertheless we made our prayer to God and because of them we set a watch against them day and night you know Israel as a nation that Curt opposition opposition from the enemy throughout their lives throughout their entire lifetime all of them throughout the history of Israel in this case the children of Israel though are being faithful to God they’re carrying out his plans they’re preparing their great cities but the neighbors are Farias you know there is no doubt that Satan is behind all the opposition that comes against God’s work in IT BEGAN clean back in Genesis Genesis Chapter 12 versus one through 3 now the Lord said a broom get out of your country from your family and from your father’s house to a land that I will show you and I will make you a great nation I will bless you and make your name great and you shall be a blessing I will bless those who bless you and I will curse him who curses you and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed my friends we are part of that we are part of the family of God We are the children of Abraham. We have inherited that can you say with me I am blessed I am blessed we are blessed we are blessed in the enemy from the from that time from the beginning is trying to destroy God’s plans that’s why the opposition comes he doesn’t want he tried to destroy Jesus he tried to have all the children killed Well that didn’t work he’s always opposed to God’s plan it will not always be easy to answer the call of God It’s not always going to be easy to answer and walk in his will so maybe instead of saying it’s going to be easy we should say I know it’s going to be tough I know it’s going to be tough but I’m going to walk in faith I’m going to stand against the opposition. Nehemiah and those that worked on the wall to rebuild they worked with their swords on their sides Nehemiah $411.00 through 14 and our adversary said they will neither know nor see see anything till we come into their midst and kill them and cause the work to see us they were tempted to cause the work of God to seize so it was when the Jews who dwell near them came that they told us 10 times from whatever place you term they will be upon us therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall at the openings and I set people according to their families with their sword their spears and their bows and I looked and arose and said to the nobles to the leaders and to the rest of the people do not be afraid of them remember the lord great and awesome and fight for your brother and your sons or daughters your wives and your houses my friends that’s a word for us today do not be afraid remember the Lord He is great he is awesome he is powerful Do not be afraid Could you imagine having to work with your weapon your sword on your side to be on a constant lookout for the enemy. But the Israelites how the mind to work they completed that task in 52 days Charles Spurgeon started a magazine back in 865 and he borrowed the title from the Amalia he called the publication the sword in the trial he said it was a record of a of combat with sin and labor for the Lord it is not good enough to build the wall we must also be on guard less the enemy take it from us building and battling are both a normal part of the Christian life if we are faithful disciples of God and of quick. It’s part of life if we are faithful disciples of God in 1st Corinthians 1825 says for the message of the cross is fully snus to those who are perishing but to us who are being saved it is the power of God The cross is the power of God For it is written I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent Where is the wise where is the scribe Where is the disputer of this age has not God made full was the wisdom of this world for since in the wisdom of God the world through wisdom did not know God it please God through the fullest mists of the message preach to save those who believe how it William for Jews request the sign and Greeks seek after wisdom but we preach Christ crucified to the Jews a stumbling block into the Greeks fully snus but to those who are called both Jews angry Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God because of Polish missile foolishness of God is wiser than man in the weakness of God is stronger than men. My friends when God calls us whatever he calls us to it may be to build a wall it may be to plan a church it may be to witness it may be to preach it may be to go on a mission trip I don’t know God could cause to anything that he has in plan for you in His will for you to accomplish but here’s what we must do stay the course. We must stay the course of God has called us to do it stay the course they had their swords on their side they continued to work they stayed the course Nehemiah was in the courage or he told them Do not be afraid my friends we have our sword in rate here it is that’s the only armor mention any fish and that’s the offensive armor standalone the Word of God we might have the pole this sort out once in a while and do battle against the enemy but we must stay the course we need to keep it in our hearts our minds on our lips preach the word know the word know the Word of God so it will be ready in season and out of season and do not be afraid because our God is an awesome God He is a great God we look I’ll go back to the issue again of our nation he prayed for 40 days for 4 months or 44 months have we been faithfully praying for our nation I can answer for everyone I pray that everyone in here is saying yes I have so I’m thrown out of challenge there for all of us all those listening all here and all that may be listening over the web I challenge you to begin to pray every single day for our nation I’ll go back to what I said last week we do have a moral issue in this nation you know if if I am a if I owned a company and I built widgets and was sell in millions and millions of widgets but all the sudden the people in our nation decided they didn’t like widgets what’s going to happen I’m going to go under right back to what I said about the drugs if the people of this nation if we could have a revival in the hearts of be changed they would be send them over people we’re going to bomb right. I still stand on that US stand on that what we need is our nation to be turn turn back to God why was the children of Israel scattered because of unfaithfulness when they turn their hearts back to God God bless them again we as a nation I say we in Iraq we need to get our hearts right with God again as a nation and we wouldn’t have to worry about the drugs coming in on again that’s not the only issue but Lord help us to teach teach us to love teach us to love help us not be afraid and out though a challenge we want out there you can receive it if you if you’d like to pray for our nation every single day let’s say is Nehemiah prayed for 4 months let’s go longer than 4 months let’s just commit to pray every single day for our nation let’s pray for Mexico let’s pray that things will turn around in Mexico that they would have good jobs that they would get their crime under control that people would want to live there is much as they want to live here and you think well wow that’s just a. That’s a big prayer. Do you know how big our God is that we serve a great and awesome God is Nehemiah said it might seem like an impossible dream for us but with God all things are possible is not too big for God but it begins when we harm or selves and pray so that’s where I’m going to close of day that we humble ourselves and pray. And I’ll ask you to pray you know what we’re going to pray right now we’ll start right now and if you feel led to come to the altars and pray as we in closing while we’re close in prayer will pray for our nation if you feel led to come come and pray or pray where you sit but that’s how I felt led to close this today to encourage you and to begin right now pray for our nation Heavenly Father we do thank you and praise you that the battle be longs to you Father we know that it is your heart’s desire that all men would come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ we know that it has to be your spirit drawling men unto you and Father God we pray that your spirit would move across this nation Father we pray that you would speak to Hearts fathers you would bring conviction where there needs to be conviction that you would bring peace where there needs to be peace father where there’s. Discouragement in Father God where there is distress I pray that you would bring peace that you would bring courage father got I pray that we as a nation we father would turn from our sinful ways that we would turn to you father that we would seek forgiveness father just you would hear our cry father that you would hear our repentant hearts bother that you would come in and heal our land Father I pray that. There would be unity in our nation father unity in walking in your ways not just unity for the sake of unity but father that we would be united in your ways that we would follow your commandments that we would walk in your statutes father that we would once again be known as a godly nation father just poor out your spirit across cross nation from the east to the west and from the north of the south while the god may hearts be changed Lord I just pray for a mighty move of your Holy Spirit across this land and father we do pray for the nation of Mexico also father that you would do a mighty work down there Father God you would bring conviction upon all those are working evil Father God in that nation and this nation while the God open your hearts open your eyes it helped in the city while the God help in the sea the reward of their wickedness father Father God help in the also repent help them also father to humble themselves before you to get on their knees in order to seek your forgiveness while that’s where it begins for for them and us Father that we go to our knees and seek your forgiveness and father may we may we be faithful to KOAT to you Father we know that you are an awesome and powerful God and Father we pray all these things in the name of your blessed and son our glorious Redeemer Jesus Christ amen.
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