What an excellent book to be reading at this time, the book of Nehemiah! Today, I am using the NIV, reading in chapter 4. Join me as I lead you through.
The Enemy Taunts
In Nehemiah 4:1-3, Sanballat and Tobiah the Ammonite, in the presence of the army of Samaria, were taunting the Jews… “Even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!”
Is anyone taunting you? Despising you?
The Godly Pray
Nehemiah prays, “Hear us, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads.” (4:4)
Note: Jesus tells us to do good to our enemies, bless and do not curse. These days, we hear testimony of how taunting captors surrender to Jesus through prayer and love.
Angry Plots
After Nehemiah prayed, the Israelites worked with all their hearts. Sanballat, Tobias, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the people of Ashdod heard the repairs continued. They became very angry, plotting together to fight and stir up trouble against Jerusalem.
Is anyone trying to stir up trouble, angry with you, or plotting against you?
Pray And Guard
Nehemiah tells us, “We prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.”
Oh, that we may pray to God, our help and our salvation, and do our part to guard what belongs to us as His children.
Discouragement
Meanwhile, the people of Judah were discouraged. “The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we can not rebuild the wall.” On top of this, the Jews living near, ten times over, said, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.” This hopelessness reminds me of Job’s wife telling him, “Curse God and die!”
What or who is causing you to despair?
Remember God/Generations
Nehemiah posted families with weapons at the most exposed places. Then, after looking things over, he said,“Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”
Currently, the Sprit is putting emphasis on the generations and our responsibility towards those coming after us. Discern your vulnerable places and don your Spiritual weapons. Let faith and love keep your fear away. As Pastor Josh Gmmiter said in his sermon October 18 & 19, we should fear the Lord God Almighty more than we fear anything else!
Be Aware & Prepare
Their enemies heard that they were aware of them and that God had frustrated their plot. The people returned to work, half of them building and half guarding. Those who were carrying materials worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other.
Identity In Christ
How do we go about our day? Do we realize the war that’s raging in the spiritual world as well as the natural? Daily putting on our godly armor will equip us for what’s ahead. Wisdom is discerning who we are in Christ and who He truly is to us – relationship!
Sound The Trumpet
Nehemiah kept the trumpeter at his side because “the work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!”
Our work is also extensive, and we are also widely separated. Let’s sound the unifying Trump of the Lord. Remember, our God still fights for us! We are to work faithfully to spread the glory, love, and salvation this world truly needs.
Here’s an interesting quote by D. L. Moody, that’s on my calendar: ‘”Every great movement of God can be traced to a kneeling figure.” Lord, thanks for Praying Hyde and Father Nash, two praying saints behind previous moves of God that come to mind.
ACF Church
Because of this Scripture, they believe you should not donate your blood. I marveled, with a bit of disgruntlement, that my young daughter could easily answer the questions in the readings we were doing. I also threw away my blood donor card and the fancy cross necklace I’d been given from my church. I came under a fear that if I didn’t come under the Watch Tower, the end was near, and I would not be saved. The woman invited me to a sledding party they were hosting, and I seriously thought of going to their Kingdom Hall. As a new believer in Jesus, I had not begun Bible reading on my own and did not know how to speak about my salvation and had no idea what it all meant.
I began to back off from wanting them to come into my home. The day they walked in to see I had put up a Christmas tree and was noticeably pregnant with our third child, she was not happy with me. Shortly after this we moved to the other end of town, and I did not tell her our new address. The Adirondack Home News, a free weekly paper, came into our new apartment. Looking through the classifieds, I saw an ad, “Are you involved with Jehovah’s Witnesses? Do you need help? Call Cheryl ‘555-666-8888′” I cut that ad out and never saw it in the paper again, but a few weeks later I got up courage to call the number and Cheryl answered. She said she’d love to come visit me and we’d talk. She came a few days later and gave me some cassette tapes that talked about abuses JW’s had done and told me her story and encouraged me in my young motherhood. She said she had hated going door-to-door and prayed no one would be at home when she had to knock. She gave me a couple of Scriptures that are supposed to speak truth to Jehovah’s Witnesses, and I used them the next time the couple came (yes, a kind neighbor near our old apartment told her where we’d moved). After telling her these things, she finally quit coming to my house. 
I got into a good Bible believing and teaching, Spirit led church soon after and spent years trying to search out what the Jehovah’s Witnesses had taught me to see which things were true and which were not and what really mattered as far as truth in Jesus. Yes, we need to have a firm handle on what we believe and why. Even the Bible says that zeal without knowledge is no good. Remember, God’s will is that none should perish, so we need to love people that have been deceived like this and share truth with them. In the 16 minute video above, Melissa shares clips of former Jehovah’s Witnesses that were never told the truth by any Christian. We need to learn how to lovingly share truth with those who are hurting like this. There are kernels of truth in each cult/false teaching. As they do, we should be witnessing to people in Jesus’ name and living a godly life that shows our faith. Yes, it is biblical to go out two by two.
Musings along life's journey 